Which Aspects of Social Support Enhance Positive Mental Health in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence?

Abstract

While there is evidence that social support can mitigate mental illness symptoms associated with intimate partner violence (IPV), there is a need to explore if social support can promote positive mental health. In this New Zealand (NZ) population-based study of women who had experienced physical and/or sexual violence ( n = 453), structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that most facets of social support (friends, family, and neighbors) had a significant correlation with each dimension of positive mental health, as measured by Keyes’ Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF). Safety from IPV (no recent IPV experience) is a prerequisite before social support can assist women to attain positive mental health. Further work is required to ensure friends, family, and communities have the knowledge and resources to provide effective social support.

Protective factors for the risk of suffering intimate partner violence in help-seeking women survivors from a social organization in Chile

“…Among the main findings of our research, having a support network is a protective factor against living with the aggressor. Family appears as a protective factor for women suffering IPV, and may help leaving IPV ( Klein and Milardo, 2000 ; Wright, 2015 ; Pir et al, 2023 ). However, social support deserves a deeper exploration, since previous studies informed that isolation might not be a descriptive feature of the victims in all cases ( Labrador et al, 2010 ).…”

The relationship of intimate partner violence on depression: the mediating role of perceived social support and the moderating role of the Big Five personality

“…Social support also mitigates the influence of IPV on subsequent mental health problems ( 13 ). Studies conducted on impoverished urban populations in the US indicate that individuals who encounter IPV are more likely to face mental health challenges if they are exposed to higher levels of violence and endure various forms of abuse, and social support may be an important protective factor for them ( 14 ).…”

Keď sa stratégia násilia stane spoločenskou normou: vplyv sociálnej izolácie na partnerské násilie na ženách

“…Sociálna izolácia u žien so skúsenosťou s násilím nielen zvyšuje riziko násilia, ale aj zvýrazňuje prežívanie stresu s ním spojeného (Jose, Novaco, 2016). Naopak, miera sociálnej podpory okolia zvyšuje psychickú odolnosť žien a vplýva na uzdravenie z násilia (Pir et al, 2022). Podľa belgického výskumu skúsenosť s domácim násilím výrazne korelovala s pocitmi nedostatočných sociálnych vzťahov nielen počas obdobia domácej izolácie, ale aj po roku trvania pandémie (Drieskens et al, 2022).…”