Psychosocial Impact on Women Survivors of Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts: A Systematic Review

Trauma Violence Abuse. 2026 Jul 21:15248380261463271. doi: 10.1177/15248380261463271. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Sexual violence against women in armed conflicts has become a weapon with various strategic purposes. It is used as a tool to humiliate and demoralise the enemy, as well as to exert territorial control and “ethnic cleansing.” Not only seeks the individual suffering but also destroys the social fabric of her community. This study aims to analyze the psychosocial impact of sexual violence experienced by women during armed conflicts, focusing on its effects on mental health and social relationships. Adhering to Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines, we employed a systematic review of 30 scientific articles published between 2015 and 2025, extracted from the Scopus, ProQuest, PubMed, and Embase databases. These articles, qualitative and quantitative, address the psychosocial consequences of this violence on women in various conflicts. Of the initial 2,151 articles, 30 met the inclusion criteria. The main outcomes reveal severe psychosocial consequences in survivors. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is the main one, depression and anxiety are reported in 40% of the studies. Moreover, all of them agree that women experience severe deterioration in their social relationships, in 59% of cases they are abandoned or expelled by their partners. Added to this, 30% of studies highlight that physical health consequences worsen social exclusion and mental health. This study emphasises the need to develop holistic, comprehensive and culturally sensitive intervention and support strategies, from social, psychological, and medical professions that deal with the impact of sexual violence.

PMID:42478461 | DOI:10.1177/15248380261463271