“So Why Should I Call Them?”: Survivor Support Service Characteristics as Drivers of Help-Seeking in India

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052097030
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Newberry ◽  
Japsimran Kaur ◽  
Shravya Gurrapu ◽  
Rasika Behl ◽  
Gary L. Darmstadt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Service Characteristics ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Depth Interviews

Women in South Asia face the highest lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence in the world, which is just one form of violence against women (VAW). In India, few women seek help after experiencing violence, particularly from formal resources, such as physicians or the police. While many studies have investigated the impact of survivor characteristics and patterns of violence on help-seeking behaviors, there is scant research on support service characteristics and their impact on help-seeking. The introduction of a novel crisis helpline in Gujarat, India provided an opportunity to better understand how successful help-seeking can be driven by the perceived and experienced characteristics of the helpline. We conducted in-depth interviews with helpline users to identify factors and pathways that promoted or discouraged help-seeking in general, help-seeking from a formal source, and help-seeking from this particular helpline. We analyzed 32 interviews of women who used the helpline. Participants were from eight districts across the state, representing a diverse range of sociodemographic backgrounds. After conducting a thematic analysis, we found that action-oriented service, timeliness, and women-focused staff influenced (positively and negatively) participants’ feelings of safety, empowerment, and trust in the helpline, which ultimately impacted their decision to seek help from the helpline or even to seek help at all. This study illuminates how service characteristics, in and of themselves, can influence the likelihood that survivors will seek help, emphasizing the need for survivors to have a voice in the growth and refinement of VAW support services. Consequently, these areas must be a focus of future research and initiatives to improve help-seeking by VAW survivors.

Status Compatibility and Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Female Intimate Partner Violence Victims

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Elizabeth Kaukinen ◽  
Silke Meyer ◽  
Caroline Akers
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Violent Crime ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Economic Variables ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
The Impact

Given the far-reaching social, personal, and economic costs of crime and violence, as well as the lasting health effects, understanding how women respond to domestic violence and the types of help sought are critical in addressing intimate partner violence. We use a nationally representative dataset (Canadian General Social Survey, Personal Risk, 1999) to examine the help-seeking behaviors of female intimate partner violence victims ( N = 250). Although victims of violent crime often do not call the police, many victims, particularly women who have been battered by their partner rely on family, friends, social service, and mental health interventions in dealing with the consequences of violent crime. We examine the role of income, education, and employment status in shaping women’s decisions to seek help, and we treat these economic variables as symbolic and relative statuses as compared to male partners. Although family violence researchers have conceptualized the association between economic variables and the dynamics of intimate partner violence with respect to the structural dimensions of sociodemographic factors, feminist researchers connect economic power to family dynamics. Drawing on these literatures, we tap the power in marital and cohabiting relationships, rather than treating these variables as simply socioeconomic resources. Controlling for other relevant variables we estimate a series of multivariate models to examine the relationship between status compatibilities and help-seeking from both formal and informal sources. We find that status incompatibilities between partners that favor women increase the likelihood of seeking support in dealing with the impact of violence.

Barriers to Help-Seeking for Sexual Violence Among Married or Cohabiting Women in Ghana

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122110608
Author(s):  
Gervin A. Apatinga ◽  
Eric Y. Tenkorang
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Sexually Abused ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Female Survivors ◽  
Financial Difficulties ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Depth Interviews

While sexual violence against women has gained attention in sub-Saharan Africa, research examining help-seeking remains limited. Scholarship on barriers to help-seeking among sexually abused married or cohabiting women is particularly lacking. We used the barriers model and held 15 in-depth interviews with sexually abused Ghanaian married or cohabiting women to examine help-seeking behaviors. Participants identified multiple barriers to help-seeking, including financial difficulties, lack of social support, and stigma. The results corroborate the barriers model's formulation of the challenges faced by female survivors in reporting violence. They indicate the need to improve laws to promote help-seeking among women with experiences of sexual violence.

Exploring meaningful change and the types of goals progressed by young people in an online counselling setting: An Evaluation (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna Jacob ◽  
Luís Costa da Silva ◽  
Aaron Sefi ◽  
Julian Edbrooke-Childs
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Reliable Change Index ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Meaningful Change ◽  
Online Counselling ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Background: Youths are increasingly looking towards the internet for mental health support. There has been little research on the impact of online counselling, as captured in Routine Outcome Measures. OBJECTIVE This research aims to explore an online counselling service, using the first application of the meaningful change calculation; to consider how this links to service use; and to explore the associations between goal type and goal outcome. METHODS A routinely collected dataset obtained from an online youth counselling and support service was analysed (n=4218). ‘Meaningful change’ was calculated to determine change over time, consisting of the application of the reliable change index to goal-based outcome data. A series of t-tests were conducted to explore associations with those who had meaningfully improved and their contact with the service. Logistic regression explored the association between goal type and meaningful change. RESULTS Results: 55.6% of youths reported meaningful goal improvement. Those who meaningfully improved spent significantly more time engaged than those who did not. Goal types most likely to meaningfully improve were ‘getting professional help’ and ‘self-help–self-care’. CONCLUSIONS Most young people made significant movement towards their collaboratively-agreed goals, which is a good indication that the service is helping to address important areas of change. The findings, linked to earlier research, may indicate that those who report improvements in goals may engage with services more. The high proportion of ‘getting help’ goals may be attributable to the online setting, which young people may use as a first point of contact for help seeking, to gather information to access further support. With the increased uptake of online support services associated with the current global pandemic, future research should consider the present findings as a baseline of goal progress and service utilization.

Mental Health Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in El Salvador

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122097880
Author(s):  
Laura Navarro-Mantas ◽  
Soledad de Lemus ◽  
Jesús L. Megías
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
El Salvador ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

Violence against women (VAW) is currently one of the main problems in El Salvador, which leads the ranking of femicides in the world. We conducted the first national survey on VAW in El Salvador following the World Health Organization (WHO) methodology, to determine the impact of violence on women’s mental health ( N = 1,274). Women who had experienced intimate partner violence showed significantly poorer mental health and more suicidal ideations. Common mental disorders were significantly associated with the experience of all forms of violence, after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and stressful life experiences. The results are discussed in connection with the primary care protocols and the design of public policies.

scholarly journals Migrant Women’s Help-Seeking Decisions and Use of Support Resources for Intimate Partner Violence in China

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122110001
Author(s):  
Ran Hu ◽  
Jia Xue ◽  
Xiying Wang
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Poisson Model ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sources Of Support

In China, women who domestically relocate from rural or less developed regions to major cities are at a higher risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) than their non-migrant counterparts. Few studies have focused on Chinese domestic migrant women’s help-seeking for IPV and their use of different sources of support. The present study aimed to identify factors that influence migrant women’s help-seeking decisions. In addition, we also examined factors that contribute to migrant women’s use of diverse sources of support for IPV. A sample of 280 migrant women victimized by IPV in the past year at the time of the survey was drawn from a larger cross-sectional study conducted in four major urban cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Using a multinomial logistic regression model and a zero-inflated Poisson model, we found that factors influencing migrant women’s help-seeking decisions and their use of diverse sources of support included socioeconomic factors, IPV type, relationship-related factors, knowledge of China’s first anti-Domestic Violence Law, and perception of the effectiveness of current policies. We discuss implications for future research and interventions.

scholarly journals Alice in Suicideland: Exploring the Suicidal Ideation Mechanism through the Sense of Connectedness and Help-Seeking Behaviors

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3681
Author(s):  
Minh-Hoang Nguyen ◽  
Tam-Tri Le ◽  
Hong-Kong To Nguyen ◽  
Manh-Toan Ho ◽  
Huyen T. Thanh Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Cultural Responses ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Informal Help

On average, one person dies by suicide every 40 s. However, extant studies have largely focused on the risk factors for suicidal behaviors, not so much on the formation of suicidal thoughts. Therefore, we attempt to explain how suicidal thoughts arise and persist inside one’s mind using a multifiltering information mechanism called Mindsponge. Bayesian analysis with Hamiltonian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique was run on a dataset of multinational students (N = 268) of an international university in Japan. Item 9 in the PHQ-9 was used to survey suicidal ideation. The associations among four main variables, namely, (i) suicidal ideation, (ii) help-seeking willingness (informal and formal sources), (iii) sense of connectedness, and (iv) information inaccessibility (represented by being international students), were tested in four models. Sense of connectedness is negatively associated with suicidal ideation, but its effect becomes less impactful when interacting with international students. The impact of a sense of connectedness on informal help-seeking willingness (toward family members) among international students is also lessened. Informal help-seeking is negatively associated with suicidal ideation, whereas formal help is positive. The findings support our assumption on three fundamental conditions for preventing suicidal thoughts: (i) a high degree of belongingness, (ii) accessibility to help-related information, and (iii) healthy perceived cultural responses towards mental health. Therefore, systematically coordinated programs are necessary to effectively tackle suicidal ideation.

scholarly journals An Examination of Individualism within Employee Help-Seeking Networks

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Randall P. Settoon ◽  
Sang H. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Help Seeking ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dense Networks ◽  
Helping Others ◽  
Regional Medical ◽  
Regional Medical Center ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Prior research focusing on the impact of individualistic orientations on the performance of cooperative behaviors has produced mixed results. Researchers have concluded that the self-focused orientation of individualists will lead them to be less cooperative than others. On the other hand, some scholars have argued that helping others is core to individualists’ self-concept and that competently assuming the role of help-giver is a source of intrinsic satisfaction. In this study, we test this proposition by examining individualistic orientations within employee help-seeking networks. Results from a sample of 107 employees within a regional medical center indicate that the level of individualism in helping-seeking networks is positively associated with help-seekers’ perceptions of support. Further, the results suggest that the relationship is stronger in dense networks. Implications of this work and directions for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Cross sectional analysis of depression and stress in medical students

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler S. Jones ◽  
Deborah Rupert
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
The Impact

Medical student wellbeing is a topic of growing concern. Medical students experience high levels of stress and burnout and are at increased risk for depression and suicidal ideation compared to the general population. Even more concerning, medical students are disproportionately less likely to seek help for their mental health issues. Identifying and preventing these problems early can have lasting positive consequences over the course of a physician’s lifetime. We implemented a wellness program at our medical school in the spring of 2016 with the goals of decreasing burnout and depression, heightening awareness of mental health issues, and encouraging help-seeking behaviors. To analyze the impact of our program, we have implemented a quality assurance survey. Here we report lifestyle factors associated with positive screens for depression from that data and propose institutional initiatives that can be spearheaded by medical students for medical students to impact positive change.

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