Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Aug 5;7(1):16.
doi: 10.1186/1752-1505-7-16.

Sexual and gender-based violence in areas of armed conflict: a systematic review of mental health and psychosocial support interventions

Wietse A Tol  1 , Vivi Stavrou, M Claire Greene, Christina Mergenthaler, Mark van Ommeren, Claudia García Moreno
Affiliations

Sexual and gender-based violence in areas of armed conflict: a systematic review of mental health and psychosocial support interventions

Wietse A Tol et al. Confl Health. .

Abstract

Background: Sexual and other forms of gender-based violence are common in conflict settings and are known risk factors for mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. We present findings from a systematic review of the academic and grey literature focused on the effectiveness of mental health and psychosocial support interventions for populations exposed to sexual and other forms of gender-based violence in the context of armed conflicts.

Methods: We searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, PubMed/ Medline, psycINFO, and PILOTS, as well as grey literature to search for evaluations of interventions, without date limitations.

Results: Out of 5,684 returned records 189 full text papers were assessed for eligibility. Seven studies met inclusion criteria: 1 non-randomized controlled study; 3 non-controlled pre- post-test designs; 1 retrospective cohort with a matched comparison group; and 2 case studies. Studies were conducted in West and Central Africa; Albania; UK and USA, included female participants, and focused on individual and group counseling; combined psychological, medical, social and economic interventions; and cognitive behavioral therapy (two single case studies).

Conclusions: The seven studies, while very limited, tentatively suggest beneficial effects of mental health and psychosocial interventions for this population, and show feasibility of evaluation and implementation of such interventions in real-life settings through partnerships with humanitarian organizations. Robust conclusions on the effectiveness of particular approaches are not possible on the basis of current evidence. More rigorous research is urgently needed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Systematic review flow chart.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Themner L, Wallensteen P. Armed conflicts, 1946–2010. J Peace Res. 2011;48(4):525–536. doi: 10.1177/0022343311415302. - DOI
    1. Wood EJ. Order, Conflict and Violence Conference. New Haven, CT: Yale University; 2004. Sexual violence during war: explaining variation.
    1. Jewkes R, Sen P, Garcia-Moreno C. In: World Report on Violence and Health. Krug EG, Dahlberg LL, Mercy JA, Zwi AB, Lozano R, editor. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO; 2002. Chapter 6. Sexual Violence.
    1. Marsh M, Purdin S, Navani S. Addressing sexual violence in humanitarian emergencies. Glob Public Health. 2006;1(2):133–146. doi: 10.1080/17441690600652787. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Palermo T, Peterman A. Undercounting, overcounting and the longevity of flawed estimates: statistics on sexual violence in conflict. Bull World Health Organ. 2011;89:924–925. doi: 10.2471/BLT.11.089888. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources