Navigating Intimate Partner Violence and Social Support Services: Testimonials of Latina Survivors – Psychiatry AI: Real-Time AI Scoping Review

AI Summary

Heightened immigration enforcement and fear of deportation deter undocumented Latina survivors from seeking formal help, creating significant access barriers to public services.
Survivors commonly rely first on informal networks of family and friends because stigma and legal vulnerability limit trust in formal support systems.
There is urgent need for culturally responsive, trauma-informed interventions and policy reforms to reduce systemic barriers and improve service access for undocumented survivors.

Health Soc Work. 2026 Jun 9:hlag021. doi: 10.1093/hsw/hlag021. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has surged across the United States, with undocumented Latina immigrants from South and Central America disproportionately affected. The heightened immigration enforcement has further discouraged help-seeking, creating significant barriers to accessing formal support systems. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 15 undocumented Latina IPV survivors in Westchester County, New York. Drawing on seven in-depth, semistructured interviews, the study examined how participants navigate support with complex social and structural constraints. Findings are organized into three thematic categories: (1) engagement with public services, (2) utilization of nonprofit services, and (3) reliance on informal support systems. Consistent with prior research, participants reported turning first to informal sources of support due to the fear and stigma surrounding their legal status and the limitations of the systems meant to protect them. These findings highlight the urgency for culturally responsive, trauma-informed interventions and policies that reduce systemic barriers and services for undocumented Latina survivors of IPV.

PMID:42262742 | DOI:10.1093/hsw/hlag021

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