Previewed Social Support Buffers PostTraumatic Stress Disorder in Jordanian Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence 

Abstract Background Previous studies agreed that post-traumatic stress disorder is a pervasive consequence affecting women who were exposed to intimate partner violence. Perceived social support could buffer post-traumatic stress disorder. This study aimed to investigate the buffering role of social support on intimate partner violence and post-traumatic stress disorder. Methods A cross-sectional quantitative research design was used to recruit women exposed to intimate partner violence residing in Amman, Irbid, and Zarqa. A non-probability convenience sampling method was used to recruit 166 women. They had to answer the participant’s socio-characteristics sheet, the Arabic version of the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (AVMSPSS), and the Arabic version of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (APLC-5) Results Results showed that there is a significant positive medium-strength relationship between the frequency of intimate partner violence and total post-traumatic stress disorder, r=0.41 and p<0.001. Also, results showed a significant negative medium-strength relationship between the frequency of intimate partner violence and total perceived social support, r=-0.36 and p<0.001. Total post-traumatic stress disorder had a significant negative medium-strength relationship with perceived social support, r=-0.38 and p<0.001. Implications and recommendations The results of the study shed light on the importance of perceived social support in decreasing the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and the frequency of intimate partner violence. Improving perceived social support can be established by fostering family roles in raising awareness toward strengthening relationships of mutual husband-wife respect and achieving gender equality.