Trauma History and Social Support Among American Indian/Alaska Native and Non-Native Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Social support (SS) is one of the most important protective factors against the deleterious effects of trauma exposure on mental health, but only a few studies have looked at predictors of SS among trauma-exposed populations. This study examines what predicts SS from friends, family, and other significant individuals in an ethnically diverse group of 61 women residing in Alaskan shelters for women who have experienced Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Results from bivariate tests indicated that survivors who identified as American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) reported significantly higher SS from family (M = 5.04, SD = 1.74) in comparison with those who do not identify as AIAN (M = 3.80, SD = 2.31), t(56) = 2.24, p