Intimate partner violence against women: a comprehensive depiction of Pakistani literature.

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner violence against women is a significant problem in Pakistan associated with an alarming set of mental health issues.

AIMS

To identify the prevalence of intimate partner violence in Pakistan and the causes, health effects and coping strategies used by women.

METHODS

A comprehensive search based on the identified keywords was conducted using Google Scholar and PubMed. Relevant literature was also searched and included. Abstracts were then shortlisted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, and 25 studies were selected. Quantitative studies on intimate partner violence were included in the review. The review comprises only reports published in English from 2008 to 2018.

RESULTS

The review accounts for the overall prevalence of violence and its various subtypes against women in Pakistan: psychological 31.3-83.6%, physical 10.0-98.5%, sexual 2.5-77.0%, physical and sexual combined 1.0-68.0% and any other type 6.9-90.0%.

CONCLUSION

The evidence generated will help notify policy-makers and health officials about the determinants and effects of intimate partner violence, making it easier to address these issues and identify victims as early as possible. It also sheds light on the limitations of this study: tools used by the published studies not specifically designed for Pakistan and there is no standardized definition of violence against women. This calls for more studies to be conducted to help find a solution.