Head injury screening and intimate partner violence: A brief report

ABSTRACT

Objective: Although the importance of traumatic brain injury has gained public attention in recent years, relatively little attention has been paid to head injuries among women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). The present study screened for lifetime exposure to mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) among a sample of women who had experienced recent IPV (median days since target incident = 26). Method: Participants included ethnically diverse women whose IPV experiences were reported to law enforcement. Women (n = 225) were asked about injuries to the head sustained during the target IPV incident as well as over the lifetime, and related symptoms. Results: The vast majority of women (80%) reported a lifetime head injury. More than half (56%) screened positive for mTBI, defined as at least one instance in which they experienced a change in consciousness or a period of being dazed and confused as a result of a head injury. A minority of women (13%) reported injuries to the head during the target IPV incident. Most women who had experienced a lifetime head injury reported frequent and current cognitive difficulties. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of assessing head injuries and related symptoms among women who have experienced IPV, pointing to important implications for policy and practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Health impact of trauma
• intimate partner violence

Acknowledgments

We thank our study partners (Denver District Attorney’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, Denver Police Department Victim Assistance Unit, Denver Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, SafeHouse Denver, Project Safeguard, Triage Steering Committee) as well as Joanne Belknap and the Traumatic Stress Studies Group.

Funding

This project was funded by Award No. 2007-WG-BX-0002 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this report are our own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily represent those of the National Institute of Justice.

Notes

^1. We refer to the IPV incident that was reported to law enforcement as the target incident for the remainder of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by Award No. 2007-WG-BX-0002 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this report are our own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily represent those of the National Institute of Justice.