Perceived stigma and psychological well-being in Spanish female survivors of IPVAW: the role of resilience and attitude toward seeking psychological help

Abstract The main objectives of this study were to analyze the relationship between perceived stigma and psychological well-being among women survivors of intimate partner violence against women and to explore the mediating roles of a positive attitude toward seeking psychological help and resilience in this context. This cross-sectional study included 58 women survivors of intimate partner violence against women who were contacted through various providers of assistance to women victims in Extremadura (Spain). The relationships between the variables of the study were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and a path analysis to explore the potential mediation effects of resilience and attitude toward seeking psychological help in the relationship between perceived stigma of partner violence and psychological well-being. The results revealed negative relationships between the perceived stigma of partner violence and both resilience and psychological well-being. In contrast, perceived stigma was positively related to attitude toward seeking psychological help, while resilience and attitude toward seeking psychological help were positively related to psychological well-being. Resilience was found to mediate the relationship between perceived stigma and well-being as well as to promote attitude toward seeking psychological help. The results revealed the presence of perceived stigma in women who had experienced intimate partner violence against women as well as the negative effect of perceived stigma on their psychological well-being. These findings highlight the need to implement measures to address this problem through specific interventions as well as to sensitize the general population to this issue through awareness campaigns that promote understanding of the problem.