Identifying Existing Provisions That Improve Health Outcomes for Adolescents Who Experienced Sexual Harm: A Rapid Review

Sexual harm is an urgent public health concern for adolescents, with profound and lasting health consequences. This rapid review aimed to identify interventions that improve health outcomes for adolescents aged 11–18 following sexual harm. Five databases and grey literature were searched for quantitative or qualitative studies published between January 2020 and February 2025 that reported at least one health outcome. Of 3595 publications screened, 10 studies (n = 723 participants) were included. Seven evaluated psychosocial interventions, one assessed pharmacological treatment and two focussed on multi-agency or first-responder protocols. Short-term improvements were reported for trauma symptoms (k = 4), anxiety (k = 2), depression (k = 2), suicidal ideation (k = 1), health service utilization (k = 2), general functioning (k = 1) and well-being (k = 3). No study reported physical health outcomes, and only two spanned a 12-month follow-up. Although evidence remains constrained by limited long-term evidence and heterogeneity of outcomes, promising cross-cutting characteristics included wrap-around and multidisciplinary support, co-production of interventions and research with adolescents, and involvement of the wider family. Future research should focus on establishing a shared outcomes framework and leveraging linked administrative data to examine long-term trajectories.