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

Safety planning is a tool to minimize the safety concerns of people experiencing violence, predominantly women and within the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). This systematic review aims to examine the state of safety planning and provide an overview of the effectiveness and perceived impact of digital, in-person and hybrid safety planning interventions.

PRISMA guidelines were used. Reports of primary qualitative or quantitative research assessing any interpersonal violence outcome for adults (exclusively ≥ 18 years old) experiencing violence were included if conducted between 2012 and 2022. Searches occurred between October and December 2022. Spanish and Portuguese sources were derived from SciElo, French sources from OpenEdition, and English sources from MedLine, PsychINFO, and Academic Search Complete. Risk of bias was assessed. Data were screened by 6 investigators and extracted by 2.

Of the 1,091 appraised studies, 15 were deemed suitable. All interventions centered on IPV, and none addressed other forms of interpersonal violence. Included studies were in English. Studies examined numerous outcomes with inconsistent findings. All hybrid interventions were effective (n = 3).

Safety planning can lead to amelioration in multiple domains for IPV survivors. Studies including safety planning in their control conditions might report inaccurate conclusions. IPV research would benefit from expanding study populations to include underserved populations. Hybrid interventions with populations experiencing comorbid conditions offer promise. No clinical trials assessing the efficacy of safety planning interventions for other forms of interpersonal violence were identified. Safety planning regarding other forms of interpersonal violence is in its nascence. (250 words).