Scoping Review of Lessons Learned During the Pandemic to Improve Intimate Partner Violence Services

The COVID-19 pandemic restricted access to intimate partner violence (IPV) support systems, increased the risk of IPV, and worsened already complex social and safety issues for survivors. As shelters were forced by public health mandates to adapt the way services were provided, many implemented innovative approaches to delivering care. The purpose of this unregistered review is to describe some of these adaptations and how they can continue to support survivors in a post-pandemic environment. We reviewed 261 identified reports and articles from 2018 to 2022 that were open access or available as full-text sources and included information on the impacts of COVID-19 on IPV and survivors as well as service adaptation. Inclusion criteria also required peer review and that the focus be on the U.S. population, narrowing the scope to 112 final sources. Search terms captured recommendations for different racial and ethnic groups and thematic coding revealed developments in providing services to different communities, within movement and space restrictions, and via telehealth. Researchers overwhelmingly support universal violence screening and education, especially among healthcare providers, and training in trauma-informed care. Many also endorse a community-based approach to violence prevention and service provision that engages multiple sectors and shifts the role of shelters to emergencies only. Lessons learned during the pandemic and new approaches to providing support to survivors of violence, such as telehealth, community collaboration, housing first models, and mobile advocacy, should continue to be studied to show effective avenues for implementation.