Help-Seeking Behaviors and Associated Factors Among Chinese Immigrant Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

ABSTRACT Chinese immigrants are underrepresented in research on intimate partner violence (IPV). There is a lack of quantitative research on help-seeking behaviors and patterns among Chinese immigrant women experiencing IPV. In this study, using a cross-sectional design, we examine patterns of help-seeking behaviors among Chinese immigrant survivors of IPV, as well as associated factors. Participants were recruited through the WeChat and Prolific platforms to complete an online survey. A total of 139 women who reported IPV while residing in the U.S. participated. The survey’s questions addressed five forms of informal help and eight forms of formal help, as well as reasons for not seeking help. The survey also included measures of social isolation, loneliness, preferences for the ethnicity of people at social gatherings, depression, anxiety, sociodemographic characteristics, and immigration-related factors. Latent class analysis revealed two distinct help-seeking patterns. The majority either refrained from seeking help or solely relied on family and friends, while a smaller group sought support from a wider range of sources, but still primarily relied on family and friends. Factors associated with Chinese immigrant women’s use of broad sources for support included older age; being single, separated, divorced, or widowed; U.S. citizenship or permanent residency; attending social gatherings primarily with Americans; depression symptoms; and lower loneliness levels. The study’s findings underscore the importance of interventions to promote help-seeking behaviors among Chinese immigrant survivors by expanding social networks, fostering collaborations between mainstream IPV services and Chinese community organizations to implement community outreach, offering interventions that are empowerment-based, and training bilingual and bicultural service providers.