The effect of hospital-based violence intervention programs on post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among violent assault victims: a systematic review.

backgroundViolent crime is a prominent cause of injury in the United States and a significant public health issue. Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs) have emerged as multidisciplinary programs that improve wellbeing of violent assault victims and minimize recidivism through culturally competent bedside and post-discharge mentorship, connection to mental health and social services, and follow-up care. Because victims are prone to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is important for HVIPs to engage in early PTSD screening and mental health interventions. Current research describing HVIP impacts on PTSD symptoms has not been aggregated; therefore, a systematic review was performed answering to what extent HVIP participation affects PTSD symptoms of violent assault victims.

methodsA literature search was performed on five databases on 07/21/2025. Inclusion criteria were studies that used valid measurement tools to report PTSD symptoms over time of U.S. violent assault victims who participated in an HVIP. Exclusion criteria were studies without hospital-based or hospital-linked violence intervention programs; studies including victims of violence other than interpersonal assault; and non-primary, non-peer-reviewed, or non-English sources. Articles were screened by title and abstract, then by full text using Rayyan software. Eligible articles were appraised using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology checklist.

results616 non-duplicated articles were identified, of which four were included for final analysis. Two studies were single arm field trials, one was a quasi-experiment, and one was a pilot randomized controlled trial. Studies showed inconsistent effectiveness of HVIPs on PTSD symptoms, though two studies that tested a specific mental health intervention incorporated into an HVIP found significant symptom reduction. Sample characteristics, intervention components, and methodology were heterogenous across studies, impacting result comparability.

conclusionWhile these studies show promise for PTSD symptom reduction, this review warrants more research to further elucidate the association between HVIP interventions and PTSD symptoms to better inform HVIP practices. Only 4 studies met inclusion criteria, indicating a lack of research evaluating this association, especially studies not testing an added specific mental health intervention. Moreover, findings support consideration for adding targeted mental health treatments within HVIPs to increase impact on PTSD symptoms.