Head Injury Screening and Intimate Partner Violence: A Brief Report

• NCJ Number: 252174
• Author(s): Kerry L Gagnon, Anne P. DePrince
• Date Published: January 2017
• Length: 10 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Award: The Effectiveness of Coordinated Outreach in Intimate Partner Violence Cases: A Randomized, Longitudinal Design

Annotation

This study screened for lifetime exposure to mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) among a sample of women who had experienced recent intimate partner violence (IPV) (median days since target incident was 26).

Abstract

Eight percent of the women reported a lifetime head injury; 56 percent 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 percent) reported frequent and current cognitive difficulties. 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, as well as related symptoms. These finding highlight the importance of assessing head injuries and related symptoms among women who have experienced IPV, pointing to important implications for policy and practice. (Publisher abstract modified)