Existing interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV) during the perinatal period focus on revictimization and maternal mental health as outcomes; future studies should assess obstetrical and neonatal outcomes.
The review in brief
Existing interventions designed to target IPV during the perinatal period are diverse. Most commonly, interventions consisted of an educational component or counseling provided by healthcare workers. Interventions often focused on reducing revictimization and improving maternal mental health (e.g., depression, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], etc.). Few studies evaluated obstetrical (e.g., gestational diabetes, miscarriage, stillbirth, etc.), neonatal (e.g., neonatal intensive care unit admission, etc.) and child (e.g., growth pattern) health outcomes.
What is this review about?
Approximately 1 in 3 women globally experience some form of IPV during their lifetimes. Studies have shown that for those who experience IPV before pregnancy, IPV continues during the perinatal period. The perinatal period starts 12 months preconception, continues through pregnancy, and extends until 12 months post-partum. IPV during the perinatal period results in many adverse outcomes for both the mother (or person experiencing the pregnancy) and the infant. It is critical to identify those exposed to IPV and intervene during the perinatal period.
What is the aim of this review?
This Campbell scoping review describes the existing interventions for IPV during the perinatal period, including their core components and measured outcomes. The review summarizes evidence from 67 studies.
What are the main findings of this review?
What studies are included?
Included studies evaluated interventions for IPV during the perinatal period. Studies were included if they were peer-reviewed, written in English or French, and evaluated an intervention for those who were currently experiencing perinatal IPV. Study inclusion was not limited by study design. A total of 67 studies were included.
How has the intervention worked?
A wide variety of perinatal IPV interventions have been conducted around the world. The most common study designs are randomized controlled trials (RCTs), in addition to pre-test post-test, cohorts, case controls, mixed methods, and qualitative designs. Intervention types include cash transfer programs, home visitation programs, educational modules, and counseling. Most interventions feature a component of education or counseling, and many interventions include multiple components.
Included studies evaluated a wide range of outcomes including: revictimization of IPV, maternal mental health, maternal physical health, obstetrical health, neonatal and child health, family-related outcomes, and self-esteem related outcomes (i.e., acceptance of IPV, safety behaviors, and learned helplessness). Many studies also measured patient acceptability of the intervention and feasibility. Overall, IPV revictimization and maternal mental health were measured most frequently. Few studies measured obstetrical, neonatal, and child outcomes.
What do the findings of this review mean?
There are many different interventions for perinatal IPV which aim to reduce violence and improve outcomes associated with maternal health. Perinatal IPV interventions can occur in many settings, including clinical and community-based settings. There are different types of interventions including education sessions, counseling, and home visitation programs.
We did not comment on the effectiveness of each intervention, and this is important data to gather in future research. Future research should include metrics on obstetrical and neonatal health outcomes to help document and understand how violence affects pregnancy and child development, and provide the greatest possible impact on the lives of survivors and their families.
How up-to-date is this review?
The review authors searched for studies published up to June of 2022. This Campbell Scoping Review was published in 2024.