Exploring Factors Affecting Mental Health, Psychological Impact, and Coping Facilitators Among Acid Attack Survivors: An Integrative Review

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Published

2026-06-26

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54169/ijocp.v6i01.07

Keywords:

Coping strategies, Gender-based violence, Acid attack, social stigma, PTSD, Acid Attack survivors

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Issue

Vol. 6 No. 01 (2026): Indian Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

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REVIEW ARTICLE

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Copyright (c) 2026 Varsha Dhama, Dhirja Dhirja, Rajesh Kumar

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Authors

  • Varsha Dhama AIIMS, Delhi, India.
  • Dhirja AIIMS, Jammu, J&K, India.
  • Rajesh Kumar AIIMS, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.

Abstract

Acid violence is a brutal form of gender-based violence. It has devastating and long-term effects on the survivors’ physical and psychological health. The physical trauma experienced by survivors has been widely studied, but psychological challenges and coping strategies that help with healing have not received much attention. This integrative review aimed to synthesize evidence on the factors affecting mental health, the psychological impacts, and the coping strategies among acid attack survivors. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Scopus, PsycINFO, and manual searches of NGO reports and reference lists. Out of 160 identified articles, 08 met the inclusion criteria. The result was analyzed through thematic categorization and integrative synthesis. The mental health of survivors was influenced by six interrelated factors such as disfigurement and physical injury, social stigma and discrimination, economic instability, etc. They experienced significant emotional distress, cognitive distortions, behavioral changes and psychosomatic symptoms. Coping strategies ranged from maladaptive avoidance to adaptive approaches. Social support from families, peers, and NGOs serves as pillars that infuse resilience and reintegration in survivors. To promote resilience, healing, and post-traumatic growth in survivors, we need to strengthen institutional responses, encourage adaptive coping, and improve support networks.

How to Cite

Dhama, V., Dhirja, & Kumar, R. (2026). Exploring Factors Affecting Mental Health, Psychological Impact, and Coping Facilitators Among Acid Attack Survivors: An Integrative Review. Indian Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 6(01), 31–45. https://doi.org/10.54169/ijocp.v6i01.07

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