A new study has found ambulance attendance rates for alcohol or drug-related intimate partner violence are higher in Victoria's most disadvantaged areas and regional or remote communities.
Using data from the world-first National Ambulance Surveillance System (NASS), Monash University and Turning Point researchers found that 1,484 Victorian ambulance attendances for victim survivors of alcohol or drug-related intimate partner violence (IPV) were recorded between 2016 and 2018.
The study found victim survivors from areas of greater socio-economic disadvantage were more than 3.5 times more likely to experience an IPV-related ambulance attendance involving alcohol and other drugs, when compared to people living in the most advantaged areas.
Victim survivors from regional or remote areas were also more likely to need ambulances for intimate partner violence involving alcohol or drugs than people in major cities, with incidents 58 percent higher in outer regional and remote areas and 48 per cent higher in inner regional areas.
The peer-reviewed research, published in Health and Place, found that the vast majority of victim survivors were women (84.4 percent), with the greatest number of attendances involving women aged between 25 and 34 years. Of all the attendances identified, most (67 percent) required transportation to hospital.
Dr Rowan Ogeil, the paper’s Senior author and Strategic Lead of the National Addiction and Mental Health Surveillance Unit at Turning Point, and Senior Research Fellow at Monash University’s Eastern Health Clinical School, said few population datasets had examined acute harms from intimate partner violence involving mental health and substance use, despite the significant impact on individuals, families and communities.
“Our research revealed significant disparities in harm across gender and age groups, with people living in lower socioeconomic areas or more remote communities experiencing substantially greater impacts when it came to ambulance callouts for intimate partner violence involving alcohol or other drugs," Dr Ogeil said.
“These results are consistent with previous research, which has found that areas of greater geographical and structural disadvantage are associated with higher levels of alcohol and other drug harms. With limited public transport, geographical isolation from support services, and limited services being open after hours, ambulance services may be the only accessible help option for people in these communities.”
Dr Ogeil said the study also highlighted the value of using NASS data to uncover what were often hidden harms in regional and remote communities.
"Ambulance data gives us crucial insights into intimate partner violence involving alcohol and other drugs and mental health issues in rural areas, revealing harms that often go uncounted in standard reporting systems that focus on metropolitan-based populations," Dr Ogeil said.
“Intimate partner violence is a complex social health issue that affects all Victorians. We need health and social services to work hand-in-hand on both prevention and immediate support.”
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Turning Point is a national treatment, research and education centre that provides leadership in the alcohol and other drug, gambling and mental health sectors. Combining innovative clinical and population health research and expert policy advice with service innovation, surveillance, system enhancements, capacity building and specialist support, Turning Point empowers people, communities, services and governments to respond to current and emerging alcohol, other drug, and gambling harms. Turning Point is part of Eastern Health and is affiliated with Monash University.
