Self-Compassion, Health, and Empowerment: A Randomized Controlled Trial for Chinese Immigrant Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence
Yang Li
Summary
Intimate partner violence (IPV) can have serious and lasting effects on women's mental health and well-being. Chinese immigrant women in the United States often face additional barriers to obtaining IPV and mental health support, including language, cultural, and social challenges. There is a need for culturally appropriate interventions that improve access to care and address the mental health needs of this underserved population. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the Self-Compassion, Health, and Empowerment (SHE) intervention, a culturally tailored mobile health (mHealth) program designed for Chinese immigrant women experiencing IPV. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the SHE intervention or an attention control program and will complete study assessments over a 12-month follow-up period. The results of this study will help determine whether the SHE intervention improves mental health and well-being among Chinese immigrant women experiencing IPV and may provide evidence for an accessible, culturally appropriate intervention that can be implemented more broadly.
Description
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health problem that has profound effects on women's physical and mental health. Immigrant women are at increased risk for IPV and often face substantial barriers to accessing support and health services. Chinese immigrants are the largest Asian ethnic group in the United States, yet Chinese immigrant women experiencing IPV remain an underserved population. Cultural stigma, limited English proficiency, immigration-related concerns, social isolation, and limited availability of culturally and linguistically appropriate services contribute to disp…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- Female
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 or older; * Self-identify as a woman; * Self-identify as Chinese; * Reside in the U.S.; * Self-report experiences of any physical, emotional, or sexual violence from an intimate partner within the past year; * Self-report symptoms of depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Exclusion Criteria: * Those who cannot speak or understand Mandarin or English; * Those with substance use, suicidality, or who have been in mental health care for severe mental illness.
Interventions
- BehavioralThe Self-Compassion, Health, and Empowerment (SHE) Intervention
The intervention will consist of 6 weekly sessions. Session 1 is a phone discussion about an IPV safety brochure covering IPV information, questions from the Danger Assessment, safety planning, options, and available resources. It also includes immigrant-specific content such as immigration-related abuse, legal options for immigrants, and resources for immigrant survivors. Sessions 2-6 will focus on providing mental health self-care resources, with a specific topic assigned each week (Deep Breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Mindful Self- Compassion, Mindfulness, and Loving-Kindness). Each session includes a video introduction on 1 of our 5 topics, with accompanying audio instructions for exercises. The interventionist will guide participants to review the video at the beginning of each session and encourage them to practice the exercises presented in that session daily for 1 week.
- BehavioralHealth and Nutrition Program
It consists of six weekly educational sessions focused on nutrition and health. Each week, participants will view a video on a specific nutrition-related topic and complete a quiz/homework (e.g., food label identification, healthy meal planning). Reminder and check-in messages will be sent every other day via text messages to reinforce the content and respond to any participant questions.
Location
- The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas