“You Can Rise Back Up Again”: Using Photovoice to Understand Healing from Intimate Partner Violence Among LGBTQ+ Racial-ethnic Minority College Students

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a longstanding public health crisis that has been linked to deleterious mental and physical health issues and negative academic outcomes among college students. Further, IPV disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ individuals and certain racial-ethnic minority students. Campus services are not adequately meeting the needs of these survivors and these efforts would be better informed by centering students disproportionately affected by IPV. Guided by intersectionality and minority stress theories, the current photovoice study examined the strengths that fostered healing and the challenges that LGBTQ+ racial-ethnic minority survivors faced in their recovery journeys. Participants were eight LGBTQ+ racial-ethnic minority college student survivors of IPV enrolled at a four-year college/university in the United States. Participants met for six weekly group sessions to share and discuss photos relevant to their IPV experiences. Results revealed that LGBTQ+ racial-ethnic minority survivors of IPV have several strengths that supported their healing and recovery journeys, including connection to self and community, acknowledging their resilience, and feeling empowered to heal and voice their concerns about the issue of IPV. Survivors also reported several challenges they faced in their recovery, including experiences of oppression, shame, and disconnection, as well as a lack of LGBTQ+ racial-ethnic minority representation and culturally affirming and trauma-informed resources. Survivors also described the journey of healing as one that is not linear, straightforward, and often changing. Despite extreme adversity, survivors in this study possessed tremendous power and agency, enhanced by their connections. Findings from the study have implications for advancing understanding of how to support LGBTQ+ racial-ethnic minority college student survivors as it relates to future research, policy, practice, and advocacy. Advisors: Dena Abbott and Katie Edwards