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Person-centered, trauma-informed care may strengthen resilience after intimate partner violenceTrauma-Informed Care Helps Build Resilience for Victims of Violence
Frontiers in MedicinePublished October 28, 2026Study authors: Nóra Kerekes, Caroline Ackemo, Erika Alfredsson, Anis SfendlaDOI ↗Editorial oversight: Dr. Sofia Müller, MD · Lifespan & Whole-Person Care
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Key Takeaway
Consider trauma-informed, person-centered care to support resilience after IPV.
This integrative literature review synthesizes qualitative and quantitative evidence on person-centered, trauma-informed care and support for individuals exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). The review included 544 participants exposed to IPV (537 women, 7 men, aged 15 to 73 years) and 31 care and support professionals. Setting and follow-up were not reported.
The authors identified three main themes. First, a safe, trusting, and accessible care relationship was central. Second, empowerment through participation, autonomy, and reclaiming control supported resilience. Third, mobilization of individual and social resources was important for long-term recovery. Person-centered, trauma-informed care characterized by safety, trust, and genuine participation was described as central to strengthening resilience.
No effect sizes, p-values, or confidence intervals were reported, and the review does not establish causality. Resilience is described as a dynamic, nonlinear process. The authors note organizational barriers and gendered dynamics affecting autonomy as limitations that could hinder access to support and recovery. Funding and conflicts of interest were not reported.
The review underscores the need for training in trauma-informed, person-centered approaches across all professions supporting individuals exposed to IPV. Because the evidence is synthesized and largely qualitative, these findings should be interpreted as informing care principles rather than as proof of clinical effectiveness.
How this fits prior evidence
Prior coverage in this publication described an observational report of IPV among pregnant women in nine U.S. jurisdictions, noting a lack of specific data for clinical application. The current integrative review extends that gap by synthesizing qualitative and quantitative evidence on how care and support can strengthen resilience after IPV exposure. It does not confirm or contradict the prior surveillance findings; rather, it shifts focus from documenting prevalence to describing care principles: safety, trust, participation, and resource mobilization. Like the earlier report, it offers no effect sizes or causal estimates.
This review looked at how to better support people who have experienced intimate partner violence. The researchers looked at data from 544 survivors and 31 support professionals. They focused on how specific types of care can help people recover and feel stronger.
The findings show that a safe and trusting relationship with a provider is essential. When care is person-centered and trauma-informed, it helps survivors feel more empowered. This approach focuses on giving people more autonomy and helping them reclaim control over their lives. It also helps them find and use personal and social resources for long-term recovery.
Because this was a review of existing research rather than a new clinical trial, the results show a link between these methods and better outcomes. Some challenges remain, such as organizational barriers and social dynamics that can make it harder for some people to access these services. These findings suggest that professionals should be trained in trauma-informed methods to better support survivors.
What this means for you:
Trauma-informed, person-centered care helps survivors of intimate partner violence build resilience and autonomy.
Common questions
What is trauma-informed care?
Trauma-informed care is a method of support that focuses on safety, trust, and genuine participation. For survivors of intimate partner violence, this approach is central to building resilience. It aims to create a supportive environment where individuals feel empowered and can begin to reclaim control over their lives through a trusting relationship with their care provider.
How does this approach help survivors of violence?
This approach helps survivors by focusing on three main areas: building a safe and accessible relationship with providers, empowering individuals through autonomy, and mobilizing social resources. These factors are linked to long-term recovery and help survivors feel more in control of their personal situation and their path forward.
What are the challenges in accessing this type of support?
While trauma-informed care is effective, some people may face hurdles. These can include organizational barriers or specific social dynamics that might make it harder for some individuals to access the support they need. These factors can sometimes impact a person's ability to gain autonomy or find the resources necessary for recovery.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major global public health concern with severe physical, psychological, and social consequences, strongly associated with chronic stress and diminished wellbeing. IPV often remains under-identified within healthcare and social care settings, with shame, guilt, and stigma acting as barriers to help-seeking. Resilience—the capacity to regulate emotion, adapt, and recover following adversity—has emerged as a central concept in understanding recovery after IPV exposure. Person-centered, trauma-informed care facilities recovery by grounding care in the individual's needs, experiences, and resources and by accounting for how trauma affects the body and the capacity to trust care practitioners.
The aim of this study was to analyze person-centered care and support interventions aimed at strengthening resilience in individuals exposed to IPV.
An integrative literature review was conducted following Whittemdore and Knafl's methodology. It included 12 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and March 2026, retrieved from CINAHL and APA PsycInfo. Nine studies were qualitative, two quantitative, and one mixed methods; all appraised using the CASP framework.
Findings were based on 544 participants exposed to IPV (537 women, 7 men, aged 15–73 years), alongside the perspectives of 31 care and support professionals, drawn from studies conducted across eight countries. Three main themes were identified: a safe, trusting, and accessible care relationship as a foundation for resilience; empowerment through participation, autonomy, and reclaiming control; and the mobilization of individual and social resources for long-term recovery, encompassing strength-based coping and supportive networks. Person-centered, trauma-informed care characterized by safety, trust, and genuine participation was central to strengthening resilience. Organizational barriers, along with gendered dynamics affecting autonomy could hinder access to support and recovery.
Person-centered, trauma-informed care and support can strengthen resilience by fostering trust, participation, and empowerment. Resilience emerged as a dynamic, nonlinear process shaped by individual resources, relationships with care and support staff, and structural conditions. Trauma's effects on the nervous system offer a neurobiological basis for why consistency, predictability, and genuine attentiveness are prerequisites for effective care, not merely good practice. These findings underscore the need for training in trauma-informed, person-centered approaches across all professions supporting individuals exposed to IPV.
