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Intimate Partner Violence and Psychological Health in a Sample of Asian and Caucasian Women: The Roles of Social Support and Coping

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Abstract

This study examined the potential mediating effects of social support and coping strategies on the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and psychological outcomes. A sample of 100 Caucasian women and 61 Asian women were recruited from domestic violence agencies. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. Analysis of the combined group revealed that there was an indirect effect of the level of violence on psychological outcomes via the mediating variables of perceived social support and passive coping strategies. Ethnic group comparisons, however, indicated differences between Caucasian and Asian women. In the Caucasian group, the level of violence had an indirect effect on psychological outcomes via the mediating variables of perceived social support and passive coping strategies. In contrast, in the Asian group, the direct effect of the level of violence on psychological outcomes was strong and significant, and the mediating roles of these variables were not found. Research implications for practice are delineated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5114, Hattiesburg, 39406-0001, MS, USA

    Joohee Lee

  2. School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Elizabeth C. Pomeroy

  3. Center for Social Work Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Tom M. Bohman

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  1. Joohee Lee
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  2. Elizabeth C. Pomeroy
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  3. Tom M. Bohman
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Correspondence to Joohee Lee.

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This study was funded by the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA) at the University of Texas at Austin.

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Lee, J., Pomeroy, E.C. & Bohman, T.M. Intimate Partner Violence and Psychological Health in a Sample of Asian and Caucasian Women: The Roles of Social Support and Coping. J Fam Viol 22, 709–720 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9119-6

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