Abstract
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a significant global health concern associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes and overall mortality. IPV is highly prevalent in LGBTQ+ individuals, but interventions targeting LGBTQ+ survivor-victims of IPV remain scarce. Although interventions using a social support approach have a well-documented positive effect on cisgender heterosexual survivor-victims, relatively little is known about how these interventions impact LGBTQ+ survivor-victims. This systematic review synthesizes literature on effects of social support interventions on LGBTQ+ survivor-victims of IPV. Using a comprehensive search strategy, one quantitative and six qualitative studies were identified and included. Observed themes include connection, mentorship, representation, discrimination, safety, service access, and service utilization. Findings highlight that, while interventions can have numerous benefits, there are also notable adverse impacts, including safety risks and discrimination. Services that are specialized for LGBTQ+ survivor-victims or are community-focused were most beneficial. Overall, this review is evidence that much more research is needed to continue understanding the effects of social support interventions and to optimize the support provided for LGBTQ+ survivor-victims of IPV.
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