VAW-Recovery: Resilience and Growth in the Aftermath of Domestic Violence




SAGE Podcast show

Summary: Author Kim Anderson discusses her article from the November 2012 issue of Violence Against Women, Recovery: Resilience and Growth in the Aftermath of Domestic Violence. This mixed-methods study explored the recovery process and outcomes for 37 women formerly in an abusive intimate partner relationship. Standardized measures of current psychosocial functioning indicated participants were largely asymptomatic for posttraumatic stress disorder and had relatively strong resilience. Qualitative analysis revealed how social and spiritual support was instrumental to participants’ recovery, growth, and resilience. Implications for helping professionals include gaining a more comprehensive understanding of recovery from domestic violence. This type of knowledge may contribute to interventions that build on women’s strengths and resourcefulness. http://vaw.sagepub.com/content/18/11/1279.abstract