Mental Health, Race, and Social Support among Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Women with mental health (MH) symptoms are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of intimate partner violence (IPV). Social support (SS) helps those women cope with adversities and regain their overall well-being. Examining specific sources and functions of SS will help expand knowledge about resources for and barriers to MH services for women IPV survivors. However, few studies examined functional and relational SS among women IPV survivors residing in shelters. This cross-sectional study examined how 31 racially diverse women IPV survivors with different MH symptoms perceive relational SS from various sources as they stay in a shelter that provides functional SS. Cluster analyses were performed to classify participants into two groups: more MH or fewer MH symptoms. Results showed that the women with more MH symptoms reported higher tangible support than those with fewer MH symptoms. Results from ANCOVA showed a significant cross-over interaction between MH and race for overall SS, indicating that women of color with more MH symptoms were less likely to perceive overall SS than Caucasians when controlling for functional SS. MANCOVA analyzed the specific sources of overall SS, such as family, friends, and others. There was a significant cross-over interaction of MH and race on SS from others when controlling for functional SS. These findings suggest that women IPV survivors of color who experience more MH symptoms perceive support from others as less supportive and trustworthy. Social service providers must provide culturally sensitive and strengths-based SS programs to help women of color who have experienced social isolation, stigma, and shame associated with IPV and mental illnesses (MIs). They also must engage in community outreach programs by educating community members about the needs and rights of women IPV survivors with MIs and collaborating to build communities that promote safety, trust, diversity, equity, and inclusion.