Do Social Service Interventions for Human Trafficking Survivors Work? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Public Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Human trafficking inflicts severe, lasting social, psychological, and health consequences on survivors.
• Existing research on the effectiveness of services for survivors is limited, highlighting a critical knowledge gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze existing studies to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for human trafficking survivors.
• To identify which types of interventions and service modalities yield the most significant positive outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
• Inclusion of 15 studies published between January 2010 and June 2022, focusing on quantitative pre- and post-intervention measurements for human trafficking survivors.
• Categorization of survivor outcomes into mental health, physical health, social support/behavior, personal development, and other areas.

Main Results:

• Approximately 51.66% of measured outcomes across the 15 studies were statistically significant, with most showing moderate effect sizes.
• Physical-based interventions (g=1.632) and standardized therapy (g=1.111) exhibited the largest mean effect sizes.
• Interventions implemented outside the U.S. were found to be significantly more effective than U.S.-based interventions (p=0.025).

Conclusions:

• Current interventions for human trafficking survivors demonstrate considerable effectiveness, particularly physical-based and standardized therapy approaches.
• The findings suggest a need for further research and policy development to optimize service delivery for survivors, with a potential focus on international models.
• This review provides a foundation for evidence-based practices and future research directions in survivor services.