Women’s Experiences of Coercive Control in Intimate Partner Relationships: a Qualitative Systematic Review

Abstract Purpose Coercive control is a highly prevalent form of intimate partner violence globally and has significant repercussions on survivors’ lives, including on their life opportunities and health. This qualitative systematic review had three aims: (1) to synthesise women’s lived experiences of coercive control in intimate partner relationships, (2) to explore any reported psychological and mental health impacts, and (3) to contribute to the conceptual understanding of coercive control by examining how survivors articulate and define their experiences. Methods Keyword searches were run on Scopus, PsychInfo, and PubMed to identify relevant qualitative studies with adult women participants, who self-identified as having experienced coercive control or intimate partner violence with coercive control. Thirty one studies from 2009 to 2023 were analysed using thematic synthesis. Results The following themes were developed: Core coercive control, inability to exercise agency, living in fear and unpredictability, co-occurring abuse, professionals’ involvement, life post-separation, and mental health impact. Conclusions Implications of the findings and recommendations for future research are discussed, such as the constant state of fear of repercussions restricting survivors’ ability to leave coercive control relationships, the need for more professional awareness and training about the construct, and poor mental health outcomes in survivors. There is an urgent need to explore survivors’ mental health and psychological experiences in future studies, to support them appropriately and design targeted interventions for them.