Safety Planning Interventions for Adults Who Experience Interpersonal Violence: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Public Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Safety planning is a critical tool for mitigating risks faced by individuals experiencing violence, primarily women in intimate partner violence (IPV) contexts.
• The effectiveness and impact of various safety planning modalities remain an area requiring comprehensive review.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the current state of safety planning interventions.
• To provide an overview of the effectiveness and perceived impact of digital, in-person, and hybrid safety planning approaches.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines was conducted.
• Searches included English, Spanish, and Portuguese sources from 2012-2022, covering databases like MedLine, PsychINFO, SciElo, and OpenEdition.
• Risk of bias was assessed, with data screened by six investigators and extracted by two.

Main Results:

• Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria, all focusing exclusively on intimate partner violence.
• While findings on numerous outcomes were inconsistent across studies, all three hybrid interventions reviewed demonstrated effectiveness.
• No studies assessed safety planning for forms of interpersonal violence other than IPV.

Conclusions:

• Safety planning interventions can significantly improve multiple domains for intimate partner violence survivors.
• Hybrid safety planning interventions show particular promise, especially for populations with comorbid conditions.
• There is a need to expand research to include underserved populations and investigate safety planning for other forms of interpersonal violence, which is currently underdeveloped.