This mixed-method study examined the influence of intimate partner violence (IPV) on the mental health help seeking experience of twenty-two women who received domestic violence services at a local Womens Domestic Violence Center and Shelter. The volunteer convenience sample completed the Conflict Tactic Scale 2 Short Form (CTS2S), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian (PCL-C), and the Social Support from Others (SFO) scale along with a qualitative interview based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) assessing their experiences of mental health service acquisition outside of the shelter. Findings revealed high rates of psychological abuse (95%), physical assault and injury (82%), and sexual coercion (64%) by their intimate partner in past year. Reported PTSD was 62% and depression 55%. Identified themes related to the womens perceived need for mental health care, barriers to care, and benefits of care. Perceived need related to feelings of fear, anxiety, isolation, and concern for children. Barriers included difficulty trusting and forming a therapeutic alliance with mental health providers and finding appropriate mental health response to IPV. Perceived benefits of mental health treatment related to receiving validation and improved self-regard. Mixed-method analyses revealed a significant relationship for perceived need with both depression and PTSD. Higher perceived barriers significantly related to PTSD and depression. Lower perceived benefit significantly related to PTSD but not to depression. Social support negatively correlated with depression, PTSD and IPV. The majority of the women cited shelter staff and residents as primary providers of support. Implications include the need for increased understanding of IPV among mental health providers and increased flexibility of services for IPV victims. Further research is suggested on the mental health implications of psychological abuse and trauma associated with IPV and increasing effective provider and treatment strategies to engage IPV victims in mental health treatment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-01032008-113212 |
| Date | 07 January 2008 |
| Creators | Woodcock, Karen Marie |
| Contributors | Lynn Hawker, PhD, Clinical Director, Retired, Womens Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, Esther Sales,Faculty Emeritus, School of Social Work, Catherine Greeno, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Patricia Cluss, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, Lambert Maguire,Professor and Associate Dean, School of Social Work |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-01032008-113212/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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