Providers’ Perceptions of Facilitators of Resilience for Spanish-Speaking Pregnant Latina Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is associated with increased risks of adverse maternal and infant health outcomes, including low birth weight, maternal depression, and barriers to prenatal care. Latina women and their families face additional challenges due to intersecting structural barriers. For primarily Spanish-speaking Latina women, immigration-related stress and limited access to culturally and linguistically specific support services can further impede pathways to resilience. Research examining how providers at service agencies perceive and interact with Spanish-speaking Latina women experiencing IPV and pregnancy is sparse, despite evidence that service providers play a crucial role in addressing pregnant women’s health needs. The current study qualitatively explored providers’ perceptions of resilience facilitators across the social ecology utilizing the Indigenist Ecological Systems Model. Participants included 18 female service providers (e.g., bilingual trauma therapists, legal advocates, certified nurse midwives; 55.6% Hispanic/Latina) who worked closely with this population in the Midsouth, United States. They were recruited via purposive sampling. Data were collected via semi-structured focus groups, allowing individual and group-level analysis. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes reflecting providers’ perceptions of facilitators of resilience. Four themes were identified: cultural values, connecting to resources, community and relationships, and religion and spirituality. Providers emphasized the need for structural and relational interventions to bolster existing strengths among Spanish-speaking Latina women experiencing IPV and pregnancy. Specifically, providers described the microsystem as a key context in which multiple factors promote resilience, such as access to trusted, linguistically and culturally specific services.