Mapping ecological targets and outcome evaluations in arts-based interventions for women survivors of domestic violence: a scoping review

Domestic violence remains a major public health challenge with profound consequences for women survivors. Arts-based interventions are increasingly incorporated into community services as culturally responsive recovery approaches for marginalized populations; however, it remains unexamined whether quantitative evaluation frameworks adequately capture their broad intended outcomes. This scoping review mapped the literature on arts-based interventions for survivors, examining the ecological alignment-or potential evaluative tension-between stated objectives and quantitative evaluation metrics. Conducted following established scoping review methodology and reporting guidelines, systematic searches of Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and PsycINFO identified 12 eligible empirical studies. Data were charted using the Social Ecological Model across individual, interpersonal, and community levels. Findings revealed interventions were predominantly community-integrated, with objectives extending beyond psychological symptom reduction to encompass peer connection, cultural belonging, and collective healing. While individual-level recovery was evaluated using congruent psychological measures, broader interpersonal and community-oriented goals were less consistently represented. This revealed an evaluative tension, wherein relational and community outcomes were only partially reflected in formal quantitative assessments. Although arts-based interventions operate across multiple ecological levels, current evaluations remain disproportionately focused on individual psychological outcomes. Future research and policy initiatives may benefit from developing ecologically responsive measurement approaches that capture relational and community-level outcomes alongside clinical measures, thereby providing rigorous evidence to inform the funding, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs for women survivors of domestic violence.