Riding on resilience: impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on women experiencing intimate partner violence

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

doi:10.1007/s43545-022-00343-6

Riding on resilience: impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on women experiencing intimate partner violence

SN Soc Sci. 2022;2(7):92. doi: 10.1007/s43545-022-00343-6. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Authors

Katie J Shillington¹, Kimberley T Jackson², Cara A Davidson¹, Julia Yates¹, Jennifer D Irwin^{1

3}, Brenna Kaschor^{4

5

6}, Tara Mantler^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON Canada.
² Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON Canada.
³ School of Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, HSB Room 332, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON N6A 5B9 Canada.
⁴ Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON Canada.
⁵ Citywide Department of Family Medicine, London Health Sciences Center, London, ON Canada.
⁶ PRISMA Health Care Collaborative/G.R.O.W., London, ON Canada.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and resultant public health measures, although helpful in reducing the spread of the disease, have disproportionately impacted women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). Despite these adverse circumstances, women continue to show resilience. Although difficult to define, resilience can be conceptualized as a dynamic process in which psychosocial and environmental factors interact to enable an individual to survive, grow, and thrive despite exposure to adversity. This research identifies facilitators and gaps in supports to promoting resilience among urban and rural women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) during the COVID-19 pandemic, via an online survey (n = 95) and interviews (n = 19). T-tests, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and interpretive description were utilized for analyses. Almost 41% of participants experienced an increase in abuse during COVID-19, and resilience significantly decreased during COVID-19 (t(44) = 2.91, p = 0.006). Qualitatively, four parent themes (coercive control, social services, resilience, and future) and seven sub-themes emerged. Changes are needed in accessibility and delivery of support services for women experiencing IPV during COVID-19, and future pandemics.

Keywords: COVID-19; Intimate partner violence; Resilience; Rural; Women.