A Western University-led research team has developed a new online tool to help women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV).
The secure, online tool called iCAN Plan 4 Safety (iCAN) intuitively walks each woman through questions and activities to help them weigh the risks in her relationship and identify what is most important to her. The program then provides personalized suggestions to help women deal with her safety, health and other concerns. Links and contact information for services that can help are also provided.
The research team, made up of experts from Western, the University of British Columbia and the University of New Brunswick, conducted a study to determine the positive impacts of iCAN on women experiencing IPV. A total of 462 women from three provinces completed four online surveys over a one-year period and provided feedback about the tool.
The women reported improvements in mental health, confidence in safety planning, and decreased coercion from their abusive partners, with no evidence of harms. The findings were published on Wednesday in the journal, BMC Public Health.
Marilyn Ford-Gilboe, Western’s women’s health research chair in rural health, said online interventions, such as iCAN, are not meant to replace existing services, but they have the potential to extend services for women experiencing IPV.
“There has been tremendous growth in online information and apps for women experiencing partner violence – but most are not based on evidence, nor have they been tested for safety and impacts for women,” said Ford-Gilboe in a media release. “Our promising findings address this gap with a made in Canada solution that women find helpful and safe to use, and that has benefits for specific groups of women.”
She said her team will now be working to make a new public version of iCAN as an app that will be available to Canadian women for free.
According to Western researchers, IPV affects one in three Canadian women and is linked to increased risk of injury, physical and mental health problems, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, which are often long-term.
