Mapping Attachment Styles, Hope, And Resilience Among Intimate Partner Violence Survivors: A Basis for Recovery-Oriented Interventions

Intimate partner violence remains a significant psychological, social, and public health concern in the Philippines, where survivors' recovery may be shaped by relational trauma, cultural expectations, spirituality, family responsibilities, and access to institutional support. This study examined how attachment patterns, hope, and resilience interacted in the experiences of Filipino women who had survived intimate partner violence. A qualitative multiple-case study design was employed involving five adult women who were no longer residing with their abusive partners. Data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews incorporating culturally sensitive Filipino research practices, including pakikipagkwentuhan and pakikiramdam. The narratives were analyzed through thematic analysis, within-case examination, and cross-case comparison. Three overarching concepts emerged: attachment traps, fragile hope anchors, and adaptive survival weaving. Survivors described anxious dependence, erosion of relational security, and the transfer of attachment needs toward spiritual and familial sources of safety. Hope developed through faith, children, family support, and access to legal and community-based services. Resilience was most consistently expressed through maternal agency, reflective faith, and institutional help-seeking. The findings suggest that recovery from intimate partner violence is neither linear nor exclusively individual but is shaped by the interaction of psychological resources, relational responsibilities, cultural meanings, and external support systems. Based on these findings, the study proposes the ILAW NG TAHANAN framework as a culturally responsive and trauma-informed pathway for attachment repair, hope activation, resilience development, and survivor empowerment.