The Research Fellow conducted a mixed methods study to answer the research questions linked to the study objectives. An online quantitative survey was conducted with migrant women living in the Valencian Community of Spain. Participants were recruited through the use of social media advertising. The questionnaire asked about socio-demographic background information, symptoms of anxiety and depression, experiences of multiple forms of intimate partner violence including psychological, physical, sexual, economic and technology-facilitated abuse, and finally about experiences of accessing services in Spain. Almost 2000 migrant women (1,998) completed the survey. A high proportion (almost 60%) reported experiencing at least one of the acts of violence measured, and around one in five reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 migrant women survivors of intimate partner violence, and 8 service providers including psychologists, social workers, NGOs, lawyers and government services of for violence against women. Findings revealed that in addition to intimate partner violence, migrant women faced multiple other stressors and intersecting forms of violence that impact their mental health, including a lack of access to work, economic stressors, discrimination and the existence of bureaucratic violence when interacting with public services. Women described a range of experiences when accessing services for IPV and mental health. Some reported positive experiences where they felt heard and understood and where service providers reacted quickly and efficiently. Others reported negative experiences including being turned away from services, being re-traumatised or shamed due to a lack of knowledge, understanding and trauma-informed care, experiencing discrimination and experiencing logistical barriers to care such as a lack of information or language barriers.
The findings from the study have been summarised in six peer-reviewed publications, two of which have already been published/accepted for publication. The findings have also been disseminated through a 9 week series of art-based workshops held with migrant women that explored the themes of the project including experiences of being a migrant women, gender-based violence and mental health. A final art exhibition held for the general public where the themes of the research were discussed through art. These art workshops formed the basis of an art-therapy intervention that was developed by the Research Fellow as a result of the findings and was piloted with migrant women to assess its feasibility and acceptability.
In addition, the results of the study are also being disseminated through the production of information packs and guidance documents targeted at migrant groups and service providers, through the production of public policy recommendations, and through social media channels.
