Screening tools and programmes for intimate partner violence in antenatal and postpartum healthcare across Europe: a...

Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy causes serious harm to both the mother and the child. The magnitude of the problem is likely underestimated due to the sensitive nature of the topic and lack of consensus on screening practices, including frequency, tools, and whether screening should be systematic or risk-based. This scoping review aimed to map existing screening tools and healthcare-based screening programmes for detecting IPV in European countries within antenatal and postpartum care.

Joanna Briggs Institute methodology was used and reported following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Seven databases (Embase, PsycINFO, SocINDEX, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL) were searched up to June 2025 to identify screening tools used in European countries. A quality assessment was conducted. To identify current screening programmes within antenatal and postpartum healthcare systems, representatives from 46 European countries were consulted.

Twenty-four studies were included, and methodological quality ranged from low to serious risk of bias. Thirteen screening tools for physical, emotional, and sexual IPV were identified. No tools for stalking or digital violence were found. Most studies were cross-sectional. Data were received from 22 of 46 European countries (48%) regarding screening programmes in antenatal or post-partum care: 17 countries have screening programmes, while five reported none. The Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) and the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) were the tools most commonly used in both the literature and screening programmes. Most countries with screening program recommendations, recommended a universal screening approach.

Screening tools and practices for detecting IPV during antenatal and post-partum care vary substantially across Europe, highlighting a lack of evidence and consensus on screening tools for IPV within antenatal and postpartum care.