Public Health. 2026 May 1;256:106314. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2026.106314. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To examine interpersonal violence as a public health issue affecting refugees, migrants and people with learning disabilities in the United Kingdom, and to identify system-level drivers and opportunities for prevention and response.
STUDY DESIGN: Theory-informed conceptual narrative synthesis using two illustrative case studies.
METHODS: We synthesised evidence from public health, migration and disability literature and relevant policy/guidance, organised using an ecological and social determinants framework. We developed two case studies (forced migration and learning disability) to map how systems shape exposure, disclosure and access to protection.
RESULTS: Across both populations, violence is structurally produced through immigration/asylum rules, institutional and social care environments, welfare and housing precarity, and service designs that restrict autonomy and undermine disclosure. Common gaps include under-recognition by services, limited staff training, and a lack of culturally and cognitively accessible pathways to safety, contributing to preventable health inequalities.
CONCLUSIONS: Preventing and responding to interpersonal violence for these groups requires system-level, rights-based, trauma-informed and culturally/cognitively responsive approaches, including routine enquiry, accessible communication tools, clear referral pathways and sustained investment in specialist community-led services.
PMID:42068964 | DOI:10.1016/j.puhe.2026.106314
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