Women's Help-seeking Behavior Research Articles

Influence of type of violence on women's help-seeking behaviour: Evidence from 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern that mostly impacts women's health and social well-being. This study explored how the various types of IPV (physical, sexual, and emotional) including women's experience of childhood violence influence their help-seeking behavior in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We analyzed data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), carried out between 2018 and 2021. The outcome variable was help-seeking behavior. Descriptive and inferential analyses were carried out. The descriptive analysis looked at the bivariate analysis between the country and outcome variables. Using a binary logistic regression model, a multivariate analysis was utilized to determine the association between the outcome variable and the explanatory variables. Binary logistic regression modelling was used based on the dichotomous nature of the outcome variable. The results were sample-weighted to account for any under- or over-sampling in the sample. The proportion of women who sought help for intimate partner violence was 36.1 percent. This ranged from 19.2 percent in Mali to 49.6 percent in Rwanda. Women who experienced violence in childhood (OR = 0.75, CI = 0.69, 0.82) have a lower likelihood of seeking help compared to those who did not experience violence in their childhood. Women who had experienced emotional violence (OR = 1.94, CI = 1.80, 2.08), and physical violence (OR = 1.37, CI = 1.26, 1.48) have a higher likelihood of seeking help compared to those who have not. Women with secondary educational levels (aOR = 1.13, CI = = 1.02, 1.24) have a higher likelihood of seeking help compared to those with no education. Cohabiting women have a higher likelihood (aOR = 1.22, CI = 1.10, 1.35) of seeking help compared to married women. The study highlights the importance of early identification of IPV and fit-for-purpose interventions to demystify IPV normalization to enhance women's willingness to seek help. The study's findings suggest that education is crucial for increasing women's awareness of the legalities surrounding IPV and available structures and institutions for seeking help.

"We are in the forgotten corner!" a qualitative study of experiences and challenges among Chinese older women at the onset of acute myocardial infarction.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a common and serious cardiovascular disease (CVD) that is one of the leading causes of death among women globally and in China. However, there are sex-associated differences and inequalities in the detection and management of AMI, especially in older people. There is little research demonstrating how challenges and barriers affect older women's help-seeking behavior and health-related procedures in China. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of older women with AMI, focusing on their perception, challenges, and coping strategies at the onset of AMI in Wuhan, China. This study utilized a qualitative research design approach and conducted semi-structured, in-depth, and audio-recorded interviews with 18 women aged 65-84 years, purposively selected from two tertiary hospitals in Wuhan City from November 2021 to April 2022. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used in this study to analyze the data on 18 participants and three major themes were generated: disease perception disorder, negative coping strategies, and barriers due to social-environmental contexts. To reduce older women's delay in seeking help, healthcare professionals should provide public health education that emphasizes sex-related disparities, and age-specific knowledge-attitude aspects to high-risk groups. Policy-based and health administration recommendations, including e-health information support, access to care, and social-environmental factors, should be highlighted to promote women's health behavior.

‘Fallacy of normalcy’ in post-childbirth maternal morbidities: a feminist-pragmatist exploration

Background/Aims Women worldwide experience post-childbirth morbidities such as incontinence and pain. While there is limited evidence of women's help-seeking behaviour, many do not seek treatment. This study aimed to explore the key influences on women's help-seeking behaviour 12 months after birth. Methods Three different study approaches were used: a meta-aggregation systematic review, concept mapping and a directed qualitative content approach. Results Women often did not seek help because they accepted problems as a normal part of motherhood. They were more likely to share problems with family and friends. Online platforms allowed women to share their problems anonymously, but the support provided demonstrated some normalising of abnormal problems. Conclusions The feminist pragmatic approach highlighted the ‘fallacy of normalcy’ as underpinning women's help-seeking behaviour after childbirth.

Predictors of help-seeking behaviors in women with urinary incontinence: Based on Iranian women's lens.

This cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted on 199 women with urinary incontinence who met the inclusion criteria by convenience sampling from the beginning of 2020 to the middle of 2021. The Incontinence Severity Index, Bradley's Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis, Medical Embarrassment Questionnaires, Brief-Illness Perception Questionnaire, Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire, Barrier to Incontinence Care Seeking Questionnaire, Medical Help Seeking Scale, and Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey were all self-administered data collection tools used in this study. Multiple linear regression was used to investigate the relationship and prediction of help-seeking behaviors by other variables. To analyze the data, SPSS software version 20 was used. The variables of shame, barriers to care, social support, quality of life, and age were found to be predictors of help-seeking behavior in the research population of women with urinary incontinence. Help-seeking had a direct relationship with quality of life and an inverse relationship with other factors. Among these factors, shame has the greatest impact (P = 0/001, β = - 0/37). The extracted predictors, especially the variable of "shame" as the most important negative factor related to the treatment decisions of women with urinary incontinence, will help to health service providers to take into account these factors in the regular service provision programs that promote women's health, which are effective in facilitating the help-seeking of sufferers and correct guidance towards treatment or rehabilitation.

A Qualitative Assessment of Social Norms Related to Seeking Help for Intimate Partner Violence in Honduras.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health issue in Honduras and other low- and middle-income countries, with few victims seeking help. While structural factors, such as lack of services and economic barriers, are often cited as reasons for not seeking help, social and cultural factors may also play a role. This study aims to describe the normative social environment that may hinder women's help-seeking behaviors for IPV. Thematic analysis was conducted on data from four focus group discussions with 30 women at a busy health center in urban Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Data were coded inductively and themes were identified deductively using the theory of normative social behavior and its components (descriptive and injunctive social norms, expected outcomes, and groups of reference). Four themes emerged: social norms and expected outcomes that discourage IPV help-seeking; factors that determine the direction of a social norm, either discouraging or encouraging help-seeking; groups of reference for IPV victims; and society sets women up for failure. Social norms, expected outcomes, and groups of reference hinder women's help-seeking behavior after IPV. These findings have significant implications for designing effective interventions and policies to support women and their families affected by IPV.

Social Inequalities and Health among Older Immigrant Women in the Nordic Countries: An Integrative Review.

IntroductionThe Nordic countries have a surprisingly strong relative socioeconomic health inequality. Immigrants seem to be disproportionately affected due to their social economic position in the host countries. Healthcare professionals, including nurses, have a professional obligation to adhere to fairness and social equity in healthcare. The aim of this review was to identify and synthesize research on health status and the impact of social inequalities in older immigrant women in the Nordic countries.MethodsWe conducted an integrative review guided by the Whittemore and Knafl integrative review method. We searched multiple research databases using the keywords immigrant, older, women, socioeconomic inequality, health inequality, and Nordic countries. The results were limited to research published between 1990 and 2021. The retrieved articles were screened and assessed by two independent reviewers.ResultsBased on the few studies on older immigrant women in the Nordic countries, the review findings indicate that they fare worse in many health indicators compared to immigrant men and the majority population. These differences are related to various health issues, such as anxiety, depression, diabetes, multimorbidity, sedentary lifestyle, and quality of life. Lower participation in cancer screening programs is also a distinctive feature among immigrant women, which could be related to the immigrant women's help-seeking behavior. Transnational family obligations and responsibilities locally leave little room for prioritizing self-care, but differing views of health conditions might also contribute to avoidance of healthcare services.ConclusionThis integrative review shows that there is a paucity of studies on the impact of social inequalities on the health status of older immigrant women in the Nordic countries. There is a need for not only research focused on the experiences of health status and inequality but also larger studies mapping the connection between older immigrant women's economic and health status and access to healthcare services.

Help-seeking behaviour and associated factors among women who experienced physical and sexual violence in Ethiopia: evidence from the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey

BackgroundViolence against women remains devastatingly pervasive and remained unchanged over the past decade. Violence against women is preventable and help-seeking of women subjected to violence is an entry point. So, this study assessed help-seeking behaviour and associated factors among women who experienced physical and sexual violence in Ethiopia.MethodUsing the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS), this paper analyzes the determinants of help-seeking behavior of women subjected to violence in Ethiopia. EDHS used a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique. From 642 communities, a total of 1540 (weighted) reproductive age women were included in the analysis. Simple descriptive, bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were employed. Statistical significance was set at a p-value of less than 0.05.ResultsOnly 22.5% of the women who experienced violence sought help. Being aged 30 and above, working in sales, or an agricultural job, being in the richest wealth quintile, and experiencing severe violence were associated with increased help-seeking behaviour. Living in a rural area, having a husband who attended primary, secondary, and higher education, having a husband working in a professional job and agriculture were factors associated with lower odds of help-seeking behaviour.ConclusionIn Ethiopia below one-fourth of women who were subject to violence sought help. Socio-demographic factors and severity of the violence were associated with help-seeking. Preventing child marriages and reducing poverty as well as increased employment and education for women enhance help-seeking behaviour by the women. Interventions could include creating awareness, law enforcement, and support for victims.

Sexual health issues postpartum–A mixed methods study of women's help-seeking behavior after the birth of their first baby

ObjectiveTo identify women's help-seeking behavior in relation to sexual health issues after the birth of their first baby. DesignA mixed methods sequential explanatory study design was utilized. Phase one of the study consisted of a prospective cohort study to identify the help-seeking behavior of women experiencing sexual health issues at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum. Phase two consisted of a qualitative descriptive design to explore women's help-seeking behavior for sexual health issues postpartum. Setting & ParticipantsThe setting was a large urban tertiary referral maternity unit (greater than 8000 births per year) in the Republic of Ireland. Nulliparous women aged 18 years and over were invited to participate in phase one. Phase two consisted of a subsample of women who consented to being contacted for further research on admission to the study. FindingsFew women consulted a clinician for postpartum sexual health issues at each of the study's three, six and twelve month time-points. For example, only 2.9% (n=18) of women experiencing dyspareunia, and 3.6% (n=16) of those experiencing a lack of vaginal lubrication spoke to their General Practitioner (GP) about these issues at three months postpartum. The qualitative data supported the quantitative findings and suggested that even when women proactively sought help from healthcare professionals they were met with unhelpful responses. In the absence of support from practitioners, women became active agents and sought information from other women or the internet. In an effort to improve practice women recommended a greater focus on their physical and emotional recovery from birth. Key conclusions and implications for practiceVery few women consulted with a clinician about their experience of sexual health issues after birth. Findings will contribute to and assist policy makers in planning future postnatal services for women to include extending the final postnatal assessment beyond six weeks after birth.

The Malaysian Women's Experience of Care and Management of Postnatal Depression.

Objectives:Early detection and intervention for Maternal Postnatal Depression (PND) are imperative to prevent devastating consequences for mothers, babies, and families. However, there are no guidelines that explicitly focus on the management of PND in Malaysia. Consequently, it is unclear whether women with PND are receiving proper care and treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to explore Malaysian Women's experience in managing PND symptoms.Methods:A qualitative study was conducted among 33 women attending Maternal and Child Health (MCH) clinics in Kuala Lumpur. Data were obtained through a face-to-face semi-structured interview and analysed using framework analysis.Results:The women considered PND as a personal and temporary issue. Therefore, professional care was deemed unnecessary for them. Additionally, all Malay women considered religious approach as their primary coping strategy for PND. However, this was not the case for most Indian and Chinese women.Conclusion:The findings of this study indicated that women did not acknowledge the roles of Healthcare Practitioners (HCPs) in alleviating their emotional distress.Also, they perceived PND as a personal problem and less serious emotional condition. It is due to this perception that the women adopted self-help care as their primary coping strategy for PND. However, the coping strategy varied between different cultures. These findings underscore the importance of HCPs’ proactive action to detect and alleviate PND symptoms as their attitude towards PND may influence Women's help-seeking behaviour.

Explaining factors affecting help-seeking behaviors in women with urinary incontinence: a qualitative study

BackgroundUrinary incontinence is widely accepted to be among the most important issues in the global health system. However, only a limited number of women are referred for treatment because different factors complicate help-seeking behaviors. The aim of this study was to explain the factors affecting help-seeking behaviors in women suffering from urinary incontinence.MethodsThis study was a qualitative study using the conventional content analysis approach. The study was conducted from December 2018 and August 2019 in Tehran, Iran. The participants were 34 women with urinary incontinence selected using a purposive sampling method. The content analysis approach was based on the Graneheim and Lundman method, and qualitative data management software was used for analysis.ResultsData analysis illustrates two themes; “ facilitator “ and “ inhibitor “; the categories “not perceiving disease”, “shame”, “ negative support of important others”, and “non-optimal health care system” were among the inhibitors and the categories “ reduced quality of life “ and “ positive support of important others” were found to be facilitators of help-seeking behaviors.ConclusionsThe findings of the present study highlight the need for understanding the underlying facilitators and inhibitors of help-seeking behaviors in women with urinary incontinence. We suggest that healthcare providers consider an open dialogue with patients and consider their subjective beliefs and life context during routine visits to facilitate early diagnosis of the disease and ultimately lead to an improvement in the woman’s quality of life.

Barriers to Formal Help-Seeking Behavior by Battered Turkish Women According to Sociodemographic Factors

Violence against women is a significant sociological problem that negatively affects society. Although violence against women is widespread worldwide, the help-seeking behavior of women exposed to violence remains underdeveloped. In this study conducted in Turkey, the formal help-seeking behavior of women exposed to violence was studied according to sociodemographic factors. Data were obtained from surveys on domestic violence against women from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), which was held in 2008 and 2014. Chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses are used in this study. The dependent variable is determined as whether women who had experienced violence sought help from formal institutions. In order to explain the dependent variable, education, age group, region, and sociodemographic variables are used. According to the results, as the education level of women exposed to violence increases, help-seeking behavior through official means also increases. In addition, women with a personal income are more likely to seek formal help than those without, and the development of the sociocultural region inhabited affects the formal help-seeking behavior of women exposed to violence. Between 2008 and 2014, legal regulations on women’s rights in Turkey were seen to positively affect formal help-seeking behavior. Although the formal help-seeking behavior of women subjected to violence in 2014 increased significantly compared to 2008, this improvement is not sufficient.

Making Sense of Turmoil: How Women Reconcile Their Emotional Response to Discovery of a Potential Breast Cancer Symptom.

Breast cancer continues to be a major public health problem for women. Early detection and treatment are key to improved outcomes. Whereas most women seek help promptly, some postpone seeking help for self-discovered breast symptoms. Investigation of women's help-seeking behavior and the associated influencing factors on self-discovery of a breast symptom were sought. The aim of this article is to report the qualitative data from women who had self-discovered a breast symptom. Women (n = 167) with a self-discovered breast symptom (who were part of a large quantitative correlational study) commented in an open-ended question on their overall experience. Comments were analyzed using Discourse Analysis. Four linked discourses were identified: (1) "being and remaining normal," (2) "emotion," (3) "becoming and being abnormal," and (4) "rationality." A sidelined discourse of emotion is drawn on to defer taking action based on rational knowledge. The tension between discourses "emotion" and "rationality" further informs our understanding of women's help-seeking behavior following self-discovered symptoms. Findings provide a deeper understanding of the emotional aspects of women's experience around symptom discovery. Findings will be of benefit to all healthcare professionals involved in assessment and screening of breast changes suggestive of breast cancer. They provide a novel insight into the meaning of breast cancer, its diagnosis and treatment, and how this impacts women's emotions as they await consultation in a breast clinic.

A literature review of intimate partner violence among immigrant populations: Engaging the faith community

As the immigrant population grows in the US, the plight of abused immigrant women may present particular challenges to practitioners. Specifically, due to cultural and religious values and other immigrant-specific barriers, abused immigrant women may not seek help from formal resources. This paper discusses the impact of cultural and religious values and other barriers on abused immigrant women's help-seeking behaviors to posit that natural resources in immigrant communities can play important roles in addressing intimate partner violence. An examination of potential roles for the faith community in addressing intimate partner violence in immigrant communities will be followed by suggestions for engaging the faith community in collaborative efforts to address intimate partner violence in immigrant communities. Language: en

Disclosure and help seeking behavior of women exposed to physical spousal violence in Dhaka slums.

BackgroundDespite high prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its adverse social and health consequences, the rate of help seeking for IPV is generally low. Although the level of IPV is much higher in urban slums of Bangladesh, the level and nature of help seeking of the victims are unknown. This paper aims to address this gap in the literature.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional survey conducted between August 2011-February 2012, we explored disclosure of violence, help seeking behavior, and their correlates among randomly selected currently married women aged 15–29 in Dhaka slums (n = 2604).ResultsAbout 60 % of the currently married women reported past year spousal physical violence, but only 21 % disclosed and 19 % sought any help. High acceptance of violence was the main reason for not seeking help. Help was most commonly sought from informal sources (89 %). Any education, frequent and severe physical abuse, and presence of children increased the likelihood of disclosure and help seeking. Most survivors from slum who disclosed also sought help.ConclusionsDespite widespread physical abuse, many survivors never sought help. Wide acceptance of violence hampering help seeking needs to be challenged. Increasing disclosure would also enhance help seeking. Awareness rising regarding rights of women to live a violence free life is essential. Although many services are available in the urban area, information about these services needs to be available to women. Promoting education is important in increasing both disclosure and service uptake.

An evaluation of perinatal mental health interventions: An integrative literature review.

National statistics related specifically to the mental health of women in the perinatal period is poorly acknowledged in Australia. Maternal deaths related to mental health in the perinatal period can be attributed to a lack of appropriate treatment and/or support. A barrier to women's help-seeking behaviors is the lack of discrete, perinatal specific interventions where women can self-assess and access support. This review examines original research evaluating perinatal mental health interventions used by women to improve mental health. An integrative literature review was undertaken. A comprehensive search strategy using 5 electronic databases resulted in the retrieval of 1898 articles. Use of an inclusion and exclusion criteria and Critical Appraisal Skills Program tools resulted in 4 original research papers. Thematic analysis identified universal themes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Behavioral Activation and Mindfulness-based interventions, specifically adapted to meet the needs of women in the perinatal period, demonstrate an overall improvement in mental health. Women involved in the interventions experienced both improvements in symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as secondary benefits from participating in the research. To improve perinatal mental health outcomes, innovative modes of providing effective perinatal mental health interventions that address the unique needs of women in the perinatal period are needed. Future development of perinatal mental health interventions require adaptions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Behavioral Activation and/or Mindfulness-based methods to address mental health outcomes for women in the perinatal period.

Analysis of the usage of continence pads and help-seeking behavior of women with stress urinary incontinence in Poland.

BackgroundUrinary incontinence (UI) in women is a chronic disorder which has a negative impact on health-related quality of life. Only 45 % of the affected individuals report the problem with continence to their doctor. The aim of the study was to assess the duration of stress urinary incontinence (SUI), time from disease onset to the first medical consultation and in-depth diagnosis, as well as the need for using continence pads in various grades of SUI.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in women who presented at the urogynecologic ambulatory center and reported urinary incontinence. A total of 420 subjects were interviewed and underwent urogynecologic and urodynamic examinations. A group of 147 patients with urodynamic SUI was enrolled in the study.ResultsAll women were graded according to the Stamey severity score: grade 1 – 56 (38.1 %), grade 2 – 68 (46.3 %), and grade 3 – 23 (15.6 %). Mean time elapsed between disease onset and presentation at the urogynecologic ambulatory center was 17.4 ± 11.8 years (grades 1, 2 and 3 for 11.6 ± 11.8, 14.9 ± 10.8, and 22.2 ± 12.1 years, respectively; p = 0.0002). Patients with SUI started perceiving their condition as a problem 4.7 ± 5.4 years before referral to urodynamics; 58.3 % of the SUI patients reported their problems with continence to a physician. Average time between the onset of UI symptoms and seeking medical help was 13.28 ± 12.3 years. Mean duration of using continence pads during the day was 4.2, 5.4 and 10.2 years in grades 1, 2 and 3, respectively (p = 0.0002). The number of patients using continence pads in and outside the home, as compared to outside only, was: grade 1 – 44.6 % vs. 28.6 %, grade 2 – 77.6 % vs. 13.4 %, and grade 3 – 86.4 % vs. 9.1 % (p = 0.004). Mean use of continence pads at night was 3.3, 6.1, and 9.1 years in grades 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The differences were not statistically significant. Protective continence products were used at night by 26.7 % of the SUI patients: 16.1 %, 25 % and 59.1 % in grades 1, 2 and 3, respectively (p = 0.004).ConclusionsWomen with SUI delay seeking medical help for over a decade. The severity of SUI is associated with duration and increased use of continence pads.

Help seeking behavior of women with self-discovered breast cancer symptoms: a meta-ethnographic synthesis of patient delay.

Background and ObjectivePatient delay makes a critical contribution to late diagnosis and poor survival in cases of breast cancer. Identifying the factors that influence patient delay could provide information for adopting strategies that shorten this delay. The aim of this meta-ethnography was to synthesize existing qualitative evidence in order to gain a new understanding of help seeking behavior in women with self-discovered breast cancer symptoms and to determine the factors that influence patient delay. MethodsThe design was a meta-ethnography approach. A systematic search of the articles was performed in different databases including Elsevier, PubMed, ProQuest and SCOPUS. Qualitative studies with a focus on help seeking behaviors in women with self-discovered breast cancer symptoms and patient delay, published in the English language between 1990 and 2013 were included. The quality appraisal of the articles was carried out using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative research checklist and 13 articles met the inclusion criteria. The synthesis was conducted according to Noblit and Hare’s meta-ethnographic approach (1988), through reciprocal translational analysis and lines-of-argument.FindingsThe synthesis led to identification of eight repeated key concepts including: symptom detection, initial symptom interpretation, symptom monitoring, social interaction, emotional reaction, priority of medical help, appraisal of health services and personal-environmental factors. Symptom interpretation is identified as the important step of the help seeking process and which changed across the process through active monitoring of their symptoms, social interactions and emotional reactions. The perceived seriousness of the situation, priority to receive medical attention, perceived inaccessibility and unacceptability of the health care system influenced women’s decision-making about utilizing health services.ConclusionHelp seeking processes are influenced by multiple factors. Educational programs aimed at correcting misunderstandings, erroneous social beliefs and improving self-awareness could provide key strategies to improve health policy which would reduce patient delay.

Patterns of help‐seeking in women when problems arise in their sexual life: a discussion paper

To explore patterns of help-seeking in women who have sexual dysfunction and the implications for nursing practice. Female sexual dysfunction is a common problem that is under-reported and untreated. Barriers to help-seeking reported in existing literature relate to the perception among many women that sexual dysfunction is: part of the normal ageing process; not bothersome or does not exist; an issue that health professionals are reluctant to address; a taboo subject. However, little is known about patterns of help-seeking in women with sexual problems. This leaves a potential gap in nursing knowledge regarding appropriate, supportive strategies. Discursive inquiry framed theoretically by Vogel's model. A literature review was undertaken by searching relevant databases. A combination of keywords was used to identify peer-review papers relating to women's help-seeking behaviour for sexual dysfunction. Vogel's model was used as a framework to extract relevant information from the papers and structure the discussion. Vogel's model comprises four steps: encoding and interpreting, generating options, decision-making and evaluation of behaviour. Using this stepwise approach helped elucidate the complex mechanisms associated with help-seeking in a structured manner. The key issues associated with help-seeking intention are concerned with women's personal awareness of and interaction with the environment. Vogel's model offers a new approach to understanding the dynamics that underpin women's decisions to seek professional help when sexual concerns arise and also provides a useful framework for nurses to consider women's specific sexual concerns. Implications for nursing practice are focused on public awareness, women's empowerment and the provision of effective sexual health care. Because sexual dysfunction is a global phenomenon, it is likely that the discussion in this paper will be relevant to an international, nursing readership.

Educational Attainment, Country of Residence and Marital Status as Predictors of Women Spiritual Help-Seeking Behavior

Literature has consistently revealed across different countries of the world that large proportions of those who attend spiritual houses are women and they attend to seek help on diverse issues. However, it is not known if one’s country of residence, educational attainment and marital status will predict women spiritual help-seeking behavior. The objective of this study was to find out how the variables as indicated above would predict spiritual help-seeking behavior of women in Nigeria, Iran and Cameroon. Using an ex post facto design and multistage sampling, 314 participants that participated in the study were drawn from Nigeria, Iran and Cameroon. Validated scale was used to collect data and the hypothesis tested was accepted. Thus, country of residence and marital status significantly predicted spiritual help-seeking behavior of women, whereas educational attainment was not a significant predictor. Deriving from above, professionals should begin to focus on the development of cross-cultural spiritual therapeutic measures that will address African women’s specific problems as well as considering the level of educational attainment of help-seekers in addressing their problem. A limitation of the study however is the small sample size, which may be addressed in further researches.

The lived experience of women victims of intimate partner violence

This study aims to gain a better understanding of the lived experience of female victims of intimate partner violence. Background. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and prevalent social problem associated with significant impairment in the physical and psychological health of victims. Exploratory, qualitative design. Face-to-face interviews were conducted among nine IPV female victims who presented themselves at an emergency department of a regional hospital. Data were subject to thematic analysis. Victims are often ashamed to disclose their situation and reluctant to seek help, afraid of being ridiculed or ignored. Violent experiences also lead to low self-esteem, depression, and suicidal ideas. They are ambivalent about staying in an abusive relationship and endure violent incidents in silence until they cannot tolerate any more and seek help at an emergency department. They have negative experiences in help-seeking: other family members and health professionals coloured by cultural restraints generally ignore their complaints and need for help. Provided a preliminary understanding of the experience of Chinese women in Hong Kong. In support of these women's help-seeking behaviours, continuing education programmes are needed to better prepare health professionals for caring for these women. Health professionals should be astute in identifying IPV victims with whom they come into contact at work. They should assess the immediate physical and emotional needs of these women, be empathetic, show acceptance, extend a helping hand and assess home safety before discharge.