"There's room to do more": a mixed-methods study of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) diversion program and intimate partner violence in Georgia.

Publisher: Frontiers Editorial Office Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101616579 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2296-2565 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 22962565 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Front Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Lausanne : Frontiers Editorial Office

Intimate Partner Violence*/statistics & numerical data ; Intimate Partner Violence*/prevention & control; Humans ; Georgia ; Female ; Adult ; Male ; Homicide/statistics & numerical data ; Poverty ; Suicide/statistics & numerical data ; Middle Aged ; Interrupted Time Series Analysis ; Young Adult

Introduction: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a risk factor for homicides and suicides. As poverty is both a predictor and a consequence of IPV, interventions that alleviate poverty-related stressors could mitigate IPV-related harms. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a monthly cash assistance program, is one such potential intervention. In the state of Georgia, the TANF diversion program, which provides a non-recurrent lump-sum payment to deter individuals from monthly TANF benefits, is an understudied component of TANF that may influence the effectiveness of state TANF programs in supporting IPV survivors.
Aim: This study quantifies and qualifies the role of Georgia's TANF diversion program in shaping IPV-related mortality.
Methods: This study relies on a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. Using data from the Georgia Violent Death Reporting System (GA-VDRS), an interrupted time series analysis was conducted to estimate the effect of TANF diversion on IPV-related homicides and suicides. Semi-structured interviews were then administered with TANF policy experts and advocates, welfare caseworkers, and benefit recipients ( n  = 20) to contextualize the quantitative findings.
Results: The interrupted time series analysis revealed three fewer IPV-related deaths per month after implementing TANF diversion, compared to pre-diversion forecasts (coefficient = -3.003, 95%CI [-5.474, -0.532]). However, the qualitative interviews illustrated three themes regarding TANF diversion: (1) it is a "band-aid" solution to the access barriers associated with TANF, (2) it provides short-term relief to recipients making hard choices, and (3) its limitations reveal avenues for policy change.
Discussion: While diversion has the potential to reduce deaths from IPV, it may be an insufficient means of mitigating the poverty-related contributors to IPV harms. Its limitations unveil the need for improved programs to better support IPV survivors.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The handling editor UK declared a shared affiliation with the author(s) at the time of review.
(Copyright © 2024 Jahangir, Dahn, Devakottai, Livingston and Woods-Jaeger.)

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Keywords: intimate partner violence; mixed-methods; policy; time-series; welfare

Date Created: 20240514 Date Completed: 20240514 Latest Revision: 20240515

20240515

PMC11090040

10.3389/fpubh.2024.1326467

38741914