Date of Award
2026-05-01
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
Advisor(s)
Craig A. Field
Abstract
Hispanic women experience disproportionately higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alongside low treatment engagement and greater alcohol use, even after intimate partner violence (IPV) has ended. Sociocultural factors may exacerbate the lasting impacts of IPV by contributing to a greater burden of disease. Prior research suggests that both psychological symptoms and sociocultural influences shape trauma recovery following IPV. However, little is known about how these factors interact after IPV cessation to impact Hispanic women's help-seeking and drinking. To address this gap, the present study applied the Cultural Determinants of Help-Seeking (CDHS) framework to examine whether inhibitory factors (e.g., barriers to help-seeking, anticipated negative reactions, social conflict) and facilitatory factors (e.g., anticipated positive reactions, social support) were associated with help-seeking intentions and behaviors for IPV-related sequelae as well as drinking to cope with IPV-related PTSD symptoms. The study also tested whether PTSD symptoms moderated these relationships. Results provided partial support for the CDHS model, suggesting that fewer sociocultural factors than expected were salient during the post-victimization period. Facilitatory influences were solely associated with help-seeking, while relatively few inhibitory factors were associated with help-seeking or drinking to cope. PTSD symptoms were associated with both adaptive (i.e., help-seeking) and maladaptive (i.e., drinking to cope) responses, but did not interact with sociocultural factors as hypothesized. These findings suggest that interventions may benefit from addressing the ongoing separate impacts of PTSD and sociocultural influences on decision-making after IPV. Overall, the present study provided novel insight into Hispanic women's post-victimization experiences, and future research should further examine these relationships using qualitative and longitudinal designs to better understand the complexity of their post-IPV recovery processes.
Language
en
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
Copyright Date
2026-05
File Size
136 p.
File Format
application/pdf
Rights Holder
Genevieve Marie Jessen
Recommended Citation
Jessen, Genevieve Marie, "Validity of the Cultural Determinants of Help-Seeking Model Among Hispanic Women with a History of Intimate Partner Violence and Psychological Distress" (2026). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 4702.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/open_etd/4702