The Effects of Help-Seeking Behaviors on Perceived Physical Health and Depression Among College Students with Dating Violence Experiences

Background:

Studies have found that help-seeking behaviors of intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors are associated with their psychological wellbeing including depression (Sylask & Edwards, 2014). Most studies sampled IPV survivors from shelters or communities; and psychological wellbeing of college students have been seldom examined in relation to their dating violence (DV) help-seeking behaviors. The impact of DV help-seeking behaviors on the survivors’ physical health issues has also been overlooked. DV and health issues could impede the academic success of college students. Therefore, understanding the effects of college DV survivors’ help-seeking behaviors on their mental and physical health is important. This study examined how help-seeking behaviors of college DV survivors are related to their wellbeing including self-perceived physical health and depression.

Methods:

Data: From the online survey data collected from North American universities (N=4843), this study used responses from 2178 college students who experienced at least one type of DV. Measures: Receiving any formal or informal help for emotional support, tangible services, and/or advice following DV experience was measured dichotomously. For self-perceived physical health state, responses were categorized into three; poor, average, and very good, initially measured on a Likert-type scale (0=poor health, 4=excellent). Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale. The responses were categorized as meeting or not meeting clinical depression based on a cut off score (16 or higher). Analysis: Chi-square analyses were conducted.

Results:

Only 10.3% of the college students utilized any form of formal help and 20.2% received informal help following their DV experience. Over one third of the sample had clinical depression (37.8%). Although the majority of the students reported average to very good physical health condition (60.3%), almost one fifth of the participants rated their health as ‘poor’ (19.9%). A higher percentage of survivors who used formal or informal help were experiencing clinical depression (x² (1) =22.11; x² (1) =17.99, p < .001, formal and informal help, respectively) compared to those who did not use each source of help. For self-perceived physical health state, a higher percentage of survivors who used formal or informal services reported having ‘poor’ and ‘average’ level of physical health; and lower percentage of them had ‘very good’ health state compared to those who did not seek each form of help (x² (1) =29.65 ; x² (1) =19.385, p< .001, formal and informal help, respectively). 

Conclusion/Implications:

Both formal and informal help-seeking behaviors were associated with depression and lower levels of self-perceived health. It is possible that the students were already facing severe health issues resulted from DV before receiving any help, making the impact of help less noticeable on their health wellbeing. Victim-blaming attitudes from the helpers could also have contributed to such negative health outcomes. For helping professionals to effectively assist the survivors and to educate their informal network, further examination of DV help-seeking behaviors is needed; especially, in identifying elements involved in help-seeking behaviors that could affect the wellbeing of college students, such as early detection of health issues or the helpers’ beliefs toward DV.