Risk factors, coping strategies, and effects of intimate partner violence: Triangulation of scoping review and interviews with survivors and social workers

Ong, Xiu Hui (2025) Risk factors, coping strategies, and effects of intimate partner violence: Triangulation of scoping review and interviews with survivors and social workers. PhD thesis, UTAR.

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Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a critical global health issue, with WHO reporting 30% prevalence among women worldwide. In Malaysia, IPV rates are increasing, yet research remains limited. This study addressed this gap through a multi-method investigation combining scoping reviews (Study One), interviews with IPV survivors (Study Two), and social worker perspectives (Study Three), with findings triangulated in Study Four. In Study Four, the results of these three studies were then triangulated to identify findings that are robust, possible and less likely. The risk factors reported in the scoping review and interviews were classified using the Ecological Framework, pointing towards the fact that risk factors exist across all four levels of the framework and interact to predict IPV among women. Coping strategies reported in the scoping review and interview responses were categorized according to Skinner et al. (2003)’s 11 families of coping, providing further backing for the framework’s applicability in IPV research. Finally, the effects of IPV that were reported in the scoping reviews and interviews were classified according to the Biopsychosocial Model, emphasizing the profound impacts of IPV, with psychological effects—especially mental health issues—being the most reported effect. In Study Four, the triangulation of results from Studies One to Three identified robust and possible risk factors, prevalent and possible coping strategies, as well as robust and possible effects of IPV. These findings highlight IPV's multidimensional nature, demonstrating how risk factors interact across ecological levels while emphasizing the predominance of psychological impacts. The study underscores the necessity for comprehensive, multi-level interventions addressing prevention, survivor support, and policy reform. Results significantly advance Malaysia's IPV research landscape while providing an empirical foundation for developing culturally-appropriate interventions and guiding future investigations into this critical public health issue.

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