Abstract

Background: Experiences of interpersonal trauma, such as abuse or violence, are common for women and can cause lasting damage to physical, mental, and social well-being. Peer support is a caring approach in which individuals use experiences of overcoming adversity, together with training and supervision, to support others.

Aim: To synthesise the evidence for peer support for women and adolescent girls who have experienced interpersonal trauma.

Methods: An integrative systematic review was undertaken. Database searches (PsychArticles, PsychInfo, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, Criminal Justice, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Social Sciences, SocINDEX and Web of Science) were conducted in August 2022, September 2023 and 16th October 2025. Forward and backward chaining was undertaken on included studies. Study quality was assessed using methodology-specific appraisal tools. Data were analysed and interpreted using Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence (SOC) framework.

Results: We included 11 papers representing 9 separate studies, from three countries, published between 2004 and 2021. All studies were conducted in high income countries. Findings were reported under three themes mapped to the SOC components of comprehensibility (understanding trauma and its impact), manageability (having the resources to cope) and meaningfulness (motivation for meaningful change). The review found that peer support can stimulate women’s and peer supporter’s self-awareness and knowledge of how they have been affected by trauma and abuse. While the shared histories of peers and recipients could enable connection and trust, peer supporters could feel a sense of responsibility to ‘rescue’ women and a sense of failure if unable to do so. Peer support interventions were generally found to be beneficial for both women and peer supporters; they offer a sensitive and meaningful approach to improve health, well-being and alleviate suffering.

Conclusion: While further studies are needed in this area, findings confirm the wider literature of peer support being a helpful intervention, largely due to shared histories and reciprocity. Further work to develop suitable recruitment, training and support for peer supporters is needed.