IPV and disasters: A systematic review of the literature of risk factors and interventions

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pressing issue and a global concern around the world. Moreover, there is solid evidence in the literature on the relationship between women's physical and mental health, the risk of IPV and the impact of disasters. This review examines the available literature to better understand how disasters and vio-lence against women in couple relationships are related and what risk factors and in-terventions might play a role in this. 29 articles were analysed. The inclusion criteria were: (1) English-language papers, (2) studies of IPV in the context of disasters, (3) published in indexed journals, (4) focused exclusively on intimate partner violence, and (5) with a sample of only women as the data source. The findings highlighted some key issues, such as prevalence, risk factors and recommendations, emphasising the importance of implementing specific assessment strategies and targeted interven-tions to prevent negative outcomes.