title: Help-seeking and coping strategies for intimate partner violence in rural and urban women.
abstract: Women experiencing intimate partner violence may use a variety of help-seeking resources and coping strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine rural (n = 378) and urban (n = 379) women's help seeking, coping, and perceptions of the helpfulness of resources used in dealing with partner violence. Overall, results suggest that women from both areas utilized a variety of help-seeking resources and coping strategies in significantly different ways. Urban women used more help-seeking resources than rural women. Urban and rural women used different types of resources. Rural women perceived the justice system services as less helpful than urban women. Coping strategies and help seeking are related, with problem-focused coping associated with the use of more formalized help-seeking resources. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40509, USA. lmshan0@uky.edu
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Medley
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012747:Sexual Partners; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*