Health Conditions and Service Use Among Intimate Partner Violence Shelter Residents

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been linked to substantial physical, social, and mental health concerns across the lifespan. Health impacts of IPV are linked to economic and housing instability. Emergency shelter is primarily focused on the safety and stabilization of the most vulnerable IPV survivors. Despite frequent use of shelter interventions, little is known about the health service experiences of IPV survivors in shelters, including the extent to which these services are perceived as helpful. To address these gaps, we surveyed 214 IPV shelter residents in a Southern state. We asked socioecological and economic questions, and health conditions including food insecurity, physical health status, mental health (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, somatic symptoms). We asked participants about seven IPV shelter health services use and perceived helpfulness. We used bivariate and regression analysis to examine study queries. In our racially and ethnically diverse sample of mostly (95%) women, over 40% self-report a disability. Over 63% of participants met criteria for probable PTSD, 43.9% met criteria for probable depression, and 40.2% reported severe somatic symptoms. Over 59% reported very low food security. Both food insecurity and PTSD were associated with economic, sexual and physical IPV before shelter. Participants used an average of five health services in shelter, with advocacy being perceived as most helpful. Participants with poor health and/or depression were less likely to find key health services helpful. This study demonstrated the ongoing need for health services for survivors of IPV residing in emergency shelter environments. While most services are perceived as helpful, substantial gaps prevent holistically addressing survivor health concerns.