Health Care Needs of Abused Immigrant South Asian Women: Challenges for Social Work Practice and Policy

Intimate partner violence has significant consequences for women's emotional well-being and physical functioning. Research in the past has also underscored self-harm behaviors as an extreme response to psychological distress among abused women. However, data on these associations among immigrant South Asian women in the United States is sparse. In addition to challenges posed by acculturation processes, other culture-specific consequences of abuse including shame and guilt often influence women's health-seeking behaviors. SAKHI works with South Asian survivors of partner violence in New York City and has responded to the growing need for culturally-competent and sensitive health care services for abused South Asian women. Through the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), SAKHI works with survivors and providers to address physical and mental health needs of women. The objectives of this presentation will be to:

1)Describe the physical and mental health burdens of abused South Asian women.

2)Discuss the challenges faced by the WHI in advocating for culturally-competent health care services for women.

3)Articulate the barriers posed in women's efforts to seek health care by lack of transparency in the medical system, attitudes of health care providers, and lack of medical insurance.

Social workers intervening with abused South Asian women would need to pay special attention to the culture-specific antecedents of poor health outcomes and explore the intersections of violence with health-seeking behaviors of immigrant women. A better understanding of social supports and coping strategies is vital while planning interventions with South Asian women specifically, and immigrant women as a whole.