Impacts of COVID-19 on the Coping Behaviours of Canadian Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Tara Mantler; Katie J Shillington; Cara A Davidson; Julia Yates; Jennifer D Irwin; Brenna Kaschor; Kimberley T Jackson

doi:10.1007/s40609-022-00224-z

Impacts of COVID-19 on the Coping Behaviours of Canadian Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Glob Soc Welf. 2022;9(3):141-156. doi: 10.1007/s40609-022-00224-z. Epub 2022 Mar 19.

Authors

Tara Mantler¹, Katie J Shillington², Cara A Davidson², Julia Yates², Jennifer D Irwin¹, Brenna Kaschor³, Kimberley T Jackson⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, ON N6A 5B9 London, Canada.
² Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON Canada.
³ Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, ON London, Canada.
⁴ Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON Canada.

Abstract

Background: Strict public health measures central to slowing the spread of COVID-19 have, unintentionally, exacerbated risks for women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) while impeding their usual coping strategies. The goal of this study was to understand how coping was influenced by COVID-19 for women who have experienced IPV and identify changes in coping strategies and gaps that need to be addressed to support coping.

Methods: A qualitatively driven, sequential, cross-sectional design, where quantitative data informed and was embedded within qualitative data collection, was used to explore the experiences of IPV (CAS-R-SF scale) and coping (Brief-COPE scale) specific to IPV of 95 Canadian women. A subset of 19 women was invited to complete an interview exploring coping strategies identified within the survey to contextualize and validate these findings.

Results: Survey data subjected to quantitative content analysis identified ten themes, all of which were explored in semi-structured interviews. Thematic interview findings included (1) influence of COVID-19 on coping, (2) coping during COVID-19, and (3) needed coping strategies.

Conclusion: COVID-19 had important impacts on the experiences and coping strategies of women who experience IPV. To better support this population in pandemic circumstances, in-person services should be prioritized with an emphasis on accessible and empathetic care. Public health measures in response to COVID-19, and the eventuality of future pandemics, should aim to be gender- and violence-informed.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coping; Intimate partner violence; Women.