Apologies in Couple Relationships: A Thematic Analysis

The study sought to examine the relationship between power imbalance among intimate partners and gender- based violence (GBV) among the youth in Ruiru Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya. The study’s literature includes a review of multiple related literature consistent with the research topic by exploring different perspectives on power imbalance factors contributing to GBV among the youth in different contexts. The study was guided by the Social Learning Theory and complemented by the Social Exchange Theory. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design. The targeted population was 1,166 youths while the accessible population was 664. A sample size of 268 respondents was obtained through a stratified random sampling procedure ensuring that both male and female participants were appropriately represented in the study. Validity of the instruments was determined by experts from the Institute of Gender, Women and Development Studies. The study adhered to ethical considerations in all study processes. Primary data collection was done using interview schedules for 12 respondents and closed-ended questionnaires for 244 respondents totalling to 256. The collected data was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively using statistical methods and thematic analysis respectively. The quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 through correlations and regression. The qualitative data was analysed using NVivo through thematic analysis. The study reveals that gender- based violence (GBV) among youth in Ruiru Sub-County is shaped by power imbalance among intimate partners. Quantitative statistics revealed standardised regression coefficient (β=0.418, p=0.014) and a robust correlation (r=0.79, p<0.01), highlighting how disparities in decision-making authority, access and financial control lead to strained relationship dynamics. These findings were supported by qualitative findings illustrating how gender expectations and economic dependency encourage patriarchal dominance. The study concludes that GBV in this peri-urban context is not merely a personal or household issue but a systemic phenomenon that is rooted in power imbalances and institutional fragility. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the County Government of Kiambu in collaboration with national agencies needs to develop and enforce gender-responsive policies promoting inter-agency coordination and resource allocation; civil society Organisations and the private sector expand youth-centred economic empowerment programs including vocational training, microfinance, financial literacy and targeted support for GBV survivors; religious and community leaders partner with youth networks and educational institutions need to lead transformative campaigns challenging gender norms through education, community dialogues and public declarations; also, healthcare and justice sectors need to strengthen their capacity in trauma-informed, survivor-centred care, deploying mobile legal and health clinics to underserved areas to ensure equitable psychosocial, legal and medical services. Future research needs to explore how cultural norms and economic insecurity structurally contribute to GBV among youth, assess the long-term impact of empowerment interventions through longitudinal studies and evaluate the effectiveness of GBV policies in culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged settings.

ABSTRACTBackground: Intimate partnerships are discouraged during early recovery, despite research that highlights their capacity to be resources for change. Objective: This study seeks to provide descriptions of intimate partnerships and how such partnerships challenge and/or support minimizing HIV sex-risk among participants in continuing care for cocaine addiction in order to inform substance use programming. Methods: Forty-two recorded continuing care counseling sessions of 33 people who discussed HIV sex-risk behavior were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. This sample was derived from a larger randomized controlled trial that looked at the impact of a continuing care intervention for people with cocaine use problems. Results: Although participants expressed the desire for a primary intimate partnership, casual intimate partnerships that often involved HIV sex-risk behavior were more prevalent. Challenges to having a primary intimate partner included the belief that intimate partnerships do not support recovery, difficulty in developing friendships with women among heterosexual men, and the ubiquity of drug use and sex work in home environments with limited economic opportunity. Despite these challenges, some participants reported having primary intimate partners that supported their recovery through open communication. Conclusion: Clinicians providing substance use interventions can consider encouraging components of intimate partnerships that support recovery. In addition, the strong environmental influence on individual HIV sex-risk behavior should be considered in delivering any substance use intervention.

ObjectivesIntimate partner violence and sexual violence organizations such as women’s shelters play a crucial role in advancing gender equality in Canada. COVID-19 has challenged how such organizations operate. This study explored how intimate partner violence and sexual violence organizations in Canada have been affected by COVID-19 and the consequences on service delivery.MethodsWe interviewed 17 frontline and management staff from intimate partner violence and sexual violence organizations and programs across Canada, and analyzed the data using thematic analysis and applying a feminist political economy lens.ResultsWe identified the following themes: (1) Adapting; (2) Struggling financially; (3) Resourcefulness; (4) Troubles connecting; (5) Narrowing scope of work; and (6) Burden of care.ConclusionA feminist political economy framework considers the gendered impact of the pandemic and related measures on the workforce. Both the pandemic and measures to control it have affected intimate partner violence and sexual violence organizations in Canada, the staff working in these organizations, and the quality of relationships between staff and clients. Intimate partner and sexual violence organizations in Canada have been chronically underfunded and their predominantly female staff underpaid, affecting their ability to meet the needs of women. The onset of COVID-19 not only worsened these issues but converged with a shift in focus to more pandemic-related tasks, further limiting the scope and reach of organizations. Whether the adaptations, innovations, and perseverance demonstrated by such organizations and staff can tip the balance in favour of more equitable policy and outcomes remains to be seen.

This oral presentation aims to illustrate a comprehensive literature review and methodology used in my study. The main purpose of this study is to explore the role of intimate partner relationships on suicide risk among men in the construction sector in NZ. The focus of my research is on relationship breakdown which is a predominant theme preceding suicide by men in the industry (Bryson et al., 2019). Several studies have investigated specific elements of intimate partner relationships associated with suicidality, including intimate partner violence and abuse (Devries et al., 2013; McLaughlin et al., 2012). There is currently no research within NZ that has explored the interplay between men’s work, family, and mental health. The underlying theoretical paradigms for this study will be interpretivism and critical theory. For this study, I will use qualitative research methodology because I seek to capture the experiences, perceptions and perspectives of construction workers, their spouses, and key stakeholders. My data collection for Study 1 will comprise of semi-structured face-to-face interviews with key stakeholders in the construction sector. Study 2 will comprise of semi-structured face-to-face interviews with construction workers across a range of occupations and their intimate partners. Recruitment of participants for Study 1 will be based on each participant having direct and current connection to the construction sector in NZ. Study 2 recruitment will be through the MATES in Construction Programme where participants will be selected from across a range of occupations within the sector. Furthermore, their partners will be invited to participate in the research. Thematic analysis will be used to analyze the transcripts from the interviews. NVivo software will be used for data analysis to deduce the main themes and subthemes in the data coding. Currently, I am finalizing my confirmation of candidature; after which I intend to apply for ethical approval and plan to conduct fieldwork in NZ once this is received.

To explore Chinese female nurses' experiences of male genitalia-related care. Male patients who require male genitalia-related care may have psychosocial and sexual concerns and needs. Nurses' attitudes and conduct in the provision of male genitalia-related care, if negative, may obviate meeting these needs. Previous research indicates that limited studies have been conducted focusing on nurses' perceptions, responses and attitudes towards male genitalia-related care. There is a dearth of knowledge about the practice of Chinese female nurses delivering male genitalia-related care, particularly given that physical contact between Chinese adults of different genders outside marriage is traditionally prohibited. This study is an exploratory qualitative study. Through purposive sampling, eight subjects were approached and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Digitally recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was conducted. The strategies of long engagement, member checking, peer debriefing and journal writing were used to establish trustworthiness. Two themes emerged from interviews: 'association with sexuality' and 'consequences'. The theme 'association with sexuality' comprised the sub-themes of 'being sexual', 'impact on intimate relationship' and 'emotional responses'. The theme 'consequences' was constituted by the sub-themes of 'care with preconditions', 'unavoidable responsibilities' and 'limited involvement with implicit approval'. This study suggests that Chinese female nurses' perceptions, responses and attitudes towards male genitalia-related care may be negative, with the consequence that the quality of male genitalia-related care might be compromised. The Chinese culture of sexual conservativeness may play a critical role. Risks may be embedded in the practice of male genitalia-related care by Chinese female nurses. Particular attention, therefore, should be drawn to the possibility of adverse effects of Chinese female nurses delivering male genitalia-related care on them and their patients.

Intimate partner violence (IPV), referring to different forms of violence or abuse between two or more intimate partners, negatively impacts physical and mental health, performance in various settings, and familial functioning, leading to long-term adverse outcomes. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals tend to experience similar or greater frequencies of IPV compared to their cisheterosexual counterparts. Stigma and discrimination toward sexual and gender diversity can lead to myths and misconceptions about relationship dynamics among SGM individuals, which can contribute to IPV occurrence within the community. This study sought to: (1) develop a compendium of myths and misconceptions that SGM individuals exposed to IPV and relevant service providers shared they encountered; (2) describe the impacts of these myths and misconceptions on SGM individuals experiencing IPV; and (3) make recommendations to address these myths and misconceptions. This qualitative study used data from a larger project focused on SGM IPV where SGM individuals who experienced IPV (n = 18) and service providers who supported SGM individuals experiencing IPV (n = 8) were interviewed using semi-structured formats. Thematic content analysis and inductive approaches were used to identify and organize findings into themes and subcategories. Five major themes related to SGM IPV myths and misconceptions were identified, touching on aspects including, but not limited to, SGM IPV prevalence, prescribed gender roles and expectations, and societal factors. Impacts and recommendations are also discussed. This appears to be the very first in-depth study describing myths and misconceptions that SGM individuals and relevant service providers have encountered in regard to SGM IPV, helping to promote understanding of SGM intimate partner relationships with particular relevance to public health and social services policies.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an epidemic among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people. However, intimate partner homicide (IPH) among TGD people is under researched. Thus, thematic content analysis was used to describe and examine antecedents of severe assault and IPH among TGD adults who have experienced IPV (N = 13), via community listening sessions. While some themes resembled known severe assault and IPH risks among cisgender women, several themes were unique to TGD people and should be considered when safety planning with TGD individuals or adapting IPV screening tools for this population.

ABSTRACTObjectives:to understand the narratives of sex workers about violence suffered by intimate partners and their coping strategies.Methods:qualitative research, focused on thematic oral history, carried out with six sex workers in southern Brazil, who responded to in-depth interviews using a flexible script. Thematic content analysis was used.Results:the study included cisgender women who self-identified as half black and half white. Most had children and were separated. They reported abusive relationships by their intimate partners, with emphasis on verbal, psychological, financial, and physical violence and attempted femicide. Such violence resulted in coping strategies, such as avoiding emotional bonds and maintaining a discreet life.Final Considerations:intimate partner violence is prevalent among participants, leading them to adopt strategies to preserve their safety and well-being, highlighting the need for public policies that meet their particularities and guarantee protection.

Couple relationships are central to adult lives in the general population, but less accessible to adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). However, little is known regarding factors that enable couple relationships among this population. In the present study, semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 Israeli couples with ID. The interview protocol addressed conditions that enabled the relationship, challenges encountered in the relationship, and coping strategies employed in accordance. Thematic content analysis was conducted. According to the interviewees, conditions propelling couples with ID to engage and stay in their relationships included: partner's attractiveness, viewing the partner as a source of comfort following a crisis, and the intervention of matchmakers. Stated challenges included: difficulties arising from within the relationship and from other persons in the couples' close milieu. Coping strategies included: mutual assistance, giving space to the partner, aspiring for a lifelong relationship, and turning to support staff for assistance. Recommendations for changing non‐ID significant others' attitudes toward couples with ID and providing necessary supports are presented. Implications for policy change are provided.

The experiences of women who stutter have been underresearched. Clinicians have little guidance from the research literature on issues specific to women who stutter and are likely to have less clinical contact with this group than with men who stutter because of the higher prevalence of stuttering in men. This study explored the experiences of a small group of women who stutter with a particular focus on what the main current issues are and how gender may have influenced experiences with stuttering. This qualitative study involved recruitment of 9 women who stutter (aged 35-80 years) through a support network of people who stutter in Western Australia. All the women had received some form of speech therapy for stuttering, and they came from diverse cultural backgrounds. Individual, semistructured interviews were conducted, recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data were managed with NVivo 10, and thematic analysis was used to identify recurring themes across the data. Data were coded independently by the researchers and refined through group discussion. Participants also completed the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering. A core theme of "gendered sense of self in society" emerged from the data. This related to 3 broad themes: perceptions of self that were primarily negative, the impact of stuttering on relationships and social connection with others (relationships with family, peers, colleagues, and intimate partners), and the management of stuttering (internal coping, motivations, and experiences with external support). Stuttering has a pervasive impact on all aspects of women's lives and affects how they view themselves, their relationships, their career potential, and their perceptions of how others view them in society. The women interviewed in this study often had negative self-perceptions and felt that their quality of life had been impacted by their stuttering. However, the women's stories and experiences of stuttering were shaped by a broader context of perceived sociocultural expectations of females in society. Strong verbal communication was highlighted as a crucial factor in developing identity and forming relationships. This study highlights the need to be aware of the experiences of, and issues facing, women who stutter for clinicians to be more equipped, focused, and successful in their stuttering interventions for women.

Domestic violence (DV) in adult and young people's intimate partner relationships is a social and public health problem across the globe. Education can play an important and unique role in addressing DV; however, it remains relatively under‐investigated. The aim of this qualitative study set in Northern Ireland, the first of its kind, was to explore young people's views and experiences of DV education. Focus groups were conducted with 188 pupils (97 males and 91 females) aged 16 to 18 attending post‐primary school. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and reveal five barriers to DV education: (1) absence of DV teaching and learning; (2) DV is a taboo topic; (3) lack of teacher training and expertise on DV; (4) religious influence; (5) prioritisation of academic achievement over pupil wellbeing. The results demonstrate that changes are needed in schools to improve the role of schools in addressing DV. From this qualitative study, we make recommendations for how school‐based DV education may help prevent and protect young people against intimate partner violence.

BackgroundIntimate partner and sexual violence are pervasive public health issues on college and university campuses in the United States. Research is recommended for creating and maintaining effective, relevant, and acceptable prevention programs and response services for student survivors.ObjectiveThe University of California (UC) Speaks Up study aims to examine factors contributing to intimate partner and sexual violence on 3 UC campuses and use the findings to develop and test interventions and policies to prevent violence, promote health, and lay the groundwork for subsequent large-scale quantitative research.MethodsA mixed methods study was conducted at UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara. Phase I (2017-2020) involved a resource audit; cultural consensus modeling of students’ perceptions of sexual consent; in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions with students to understand perceptions of campus environment related to experiences as well as prevention of and responses to violence; and IDIs with faculty, staff, and community stakeholders to investigate institutional and community arrangements influencing students’ lives and experiences. Phase II (2020-ongoing) involves IDIs with student survivors to assess the use and perceptions of campus and community services. Qualitative content analysis is used to generate substantive codes and subthemes that emerge, using a thematic analysis approach.ResultsIn January 2019, we conducted 149 free-listing interviews and 214 web-based surveys with undergraduate and graduate and professional students for the cultural consensus modeling. Between February 2019 and June 2019, 179 IDIs were conducted with 86 (48%) undergraduate students, 21 (11.7%) graduate and professional students, 34 (19%) staff members, 27 (15.1%) faculty members, and 11 (6.1%) community stakeholders, and 35 focus group discussions (27/35, 77% with undergraduate students and 8/35, 23% with graduate and professional students) were conducted with 201 participants. Since September 2020, 50% (15/30) of the planned student survivor interviews have been conducted. This segment of data collection was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recruitment is ongoing.ConclusionsData analysis and phase II data collection are ongoing. The findings will be used to develop and test interventions for preventing violence, promoting health and well-being, and ensuring that survivor services are relevant and acceptable to and meet the needs of all individuals in the campus community, including those who are typically understudied. The findings will also be used to prepare for rigorous, UC–system-wide public health prevention research.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/31189

This qualitative study explores the experiences of men who self-report victimization from a female intimate partner in four English-speaking countries. Forty-one men who reported any type of intimate partner abuse (IPA) from a female partner were recruited via targeted advertising in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Twelve online focus groups were conducted across countries using a phenomenologically informed design. Thematic analysis was carried out from an inductive and realist epistemological position and themes identified at a semantic level. This approach was taken to directly reflect the men's experiences and perspectives, ensuring the voices of this hard-to-reach and overlooked population were heard. Three themes were identified across the countries: an imbalanced experience of harm; living with sustained abuse; and knowledge is power for men experiencing IPA. It was found that most participants underwent physical harm in the context of coercive control and experienced abuse over long periods of time. They were slow to recognize the magnitude of their partners' behavior and act upon it for a range of reasons that are described in detail. In addition, promoting knowledge about the victimization of men by women, using appropriate language and active learning, was found to be important in helping the men gain autonomy and agency to break the pattern of abuse and aid their recovery. The implications of the findings for developing male-friendly IPA policy, practice, and services are discussed, in addition to the need for innovative research methodology to access hard-to-reach populations.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease characterized by elevation in pulmonary artery pressure causing progressive symptoms: shortness of breath, fatigue, and a decline in functional ability. Research on the impact of PAH on sexual and reproductive health was sparse. The aim of this study is to explore sexual and reproductive health of women with PAH in relation to their illness experience. Twenty-five women with PAH participated in semistructured interviews. A thematic analysis was conducted on the transcripts using the ATLAS.ti software. Four main themes were identified: illness experience, intimate relationship, sexuality, and attitudes toward pregnancy. Results showed that illness changed women’s self-perception, couples’ relationship, sexuality, and the idea of an eventual pregnancy. The relationship with the partner was usually indicated as an important resource, whereas communication with health care professionals was a critical but also potential key resource for the future. Results point to the need for intervention strategies to support women with PAH and help them make aware choices. Moreover, intervention strategies may inform health care interventions and policies for tackling the challenges posed by this illness.

Background To die in their own home is one of the key elements of care for approximately 70% of people living with a terminal illness, with the care predominantly provided at end of life by family caregivers including spouses (Patel 2016). Family members often care for their relative at this stage of life for long periods of time untrained and alone resulting in acute hospice and hospital admissions and an unfilled wish (McGrath 2016). Aim Review Question: What are the psychological implications of caring for a loved one at end of life in the home setting? Review objectives: • To explore any effect on personal relationships. Method A qualitative systematic search for articles was performed in February 2017 with 757 primary research papers identified from the searches, assessed against the criteria and following analysis were narrowed down to nine. Results Following thematic analysis, the psychological implications of caring were grouped into five distinct categories and subsequent themes as follows 1) Isolation 2) Responsibility 3) Guilt 4) Interdependency 5) Stress. Effect on relationships identified two themes: Stretched limits, and obligation. Conclusion The review did demonstrate how caring for a dying family member in the home setting does have psychological implications on the carer and within the relationship with their loved one. Caring for a relative does require a level of resilience and psychological strength to enable this level of caregiving due to the limitations on the carer’s own life. The involvement of the health professional is imperative to ensure these families are able to maintain relationships and fulfil their wishes safely.