Conducting Digital Intervention Research among Immigrant Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: Methodological, Safety and Ethnical Considerations

Abstract

Intimate partner violence, described as a global pandemic by the United Nations, has been found to disproportionately affect immigrant women. Many immigrant survivors of IPV are unable or unwilling to attend in-person services due to barriers related to immigration status, transportation, and social isolation. By providing remote support to women in abusive relationships, digital interventions can help address these barriers and ensure their health and safety. Research on safe and ethical approaches to digital service delivery for immigrant IPV survivors is a necessary first step to meeting these women’s needs for remote support. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore considerations and challenges of conducting digital intervention research (online, phone and text) with diverse groups of immigrant women. Data was collected via 5 focus groups and 46 in-depth interviews with immigrant survivors of IPV from different countries of origin. In addition, data was collected via key informant interviews with 17 service providers. Participants shared safety, ethical and methodological challenges to accessing interventions, such as their abusive partner being at home or lack of safe access to technology. Further, participants shared strategies for safe data collection, such as scheduling a contact time when participants are afforded privacy and deleting evidence of the intervention to retain personal safety. The findings will be informative for researchers conducting digital intervention studies or practitioners engaging in remote intervention approaches with marginalized populations such as immigrant women at high risk of violence.

Self-Compassion, Health, and Empowerment: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial for Chinese Immigrant Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

“…This study followed established safety procedures for recruitment and retention of community-based IPV survivors, to reduce the risk of breach of confidentiality and an abuser discovering they were participating in the study, which might result in further abuse ( Sabri et al, 2023 ; Sullivan & Cain, 2004 ). For safety reasons, the study flyer was carefully designed to avoid implying that the study was recruiting Chinese women experiencing IPV.…”

The being safe, health and positively empowered pilot randomized controlled trial: A digital multicomponent intervention for immigrant women with cumulative exposures to violence.

“…Digital interventions are interventions delivered through mobile devices, computer/web-based, or online social media platforms (Emezue & Bloom, 2021; Freed et al, 2017; Sabri et al, 2022). The acceptability and effectiveness of such interventions stem from ability to unreservedly discuss sensitive issues in a private setting (Anderson et al, 2021; Sabri et al, 2022).…”

“…Digital interventions are interventions delivered through mobile devices, computer/web-based, or online social media platforms (Emezue & Bloom, 2021; Freed et al, 2017; Sabri et al, 2022). The acceptability and effectiveness of such interventions stem from ability to unreservedly discuss sensitive issues in a private setting (Anderson et al, 2021; Sabri et al, 2022). Digital interventions can be especially beneficial for women who voluntarily or involuntarily are unable to access services due to transportation barriers, and lack of insurance for mental health care, stigma, and shame in sharing sensitive experiences face-to-face, sociocultural, religious, and pandemic or other reasons (Vroegindewey & Sabri, 2022).…”

“…Immigrant women's CETV and other stressors, unmet needs of care, and barriers to resources for support highlight the need for developing and testing evidence-based interventions to overcome their barriers to care and to support their health, safety, and well-being. Technology-based digital interventions are an avenue that could address these barriers and provide delivery of services to immigrant women in a stigma-free and private environment (Sabri et al, 2022).…”

"Fast food psychology" or serious support: Brazilian migrant women talk about their experiences with digital tools for mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand

“…Research demonstrates the strong potential DTMH have for supporting migrants' health and wellbeing in their host countries (Emezue & Bloom, 2022;Liem et al, 2021;Sabri et al, 2022;Talhouk et al, 2020;Yilmaz et al, 2022). Overall, migrants are open to using DTMH (Lee et al, 2022;Liem et al, 2021;Schueller et al, 2019).…”