<p>Abstract</p><p>Intimate partner violence (IPV) is highly prevalent in Pakistan. Social support is associated with a reduced risk for violence and adverse mental health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between social support and the occurrence of IPV and adverse mental health among Pakistani women exposed to IPV, along with exploring help-seeking behaviour using qualitative interviews. Data from a cross-sectional survey of 759 women, aged 25–60, were analyzed using logistic regression. The results demonstrated that informal social support was associated with fewer occurrences of all forms of IPV and less likelihood of adverse mental health when exposed to psychological violence, whereas formal social support was associated with more occurrences of all forms of IPV and more likelihood of adverse mental health when exposed to psychological violence. The qualitative result showed that fear of social stigma and low autonomy were, among others, obstacles for seeking help. Suggestions for future interventions include strengthening informal social networks and expanding formal resources, as well as raising awareness of IPV in order to address the issue.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> / This thesis was made possible by a Minor Field Study grant from the Swedish International Developmental Agency (SIDA) distributed by the department of Psychology at Stockholm University and we would like to express our gratitude for assisting us financially. / PhD project by Tazeen Saeed Ali, School of Nursing, Aga Khan University, called, “Living with violence in the home - a normal part of Pakistani women's life or a serious transgression of human rights.”
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA/oai:DiVA.org:su-37399 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Särnholm, Josefin, Lidgren Sebghati, Nathalie |
| Publisher | Stockholm University, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Department of Psychology |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, text |
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