Intimate Partner Violence Among Female OEF/OIF/OND Veterans Who Were Evaluated for Traumatic Brain Injury in the Veterans Health Administration: A Preliminary Investigation

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (13-14) ◽  
pp. 2422-2445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine M. Iverson ◽  
Nina A. Sayer ◽  
Mark Meterko ◽  
Kelly Stolzmann ◽  
Pradeep Suri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Female Veterans ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Physical And Mental Health

Many female veterans have deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND), and some experience traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although TBI is increasingly recognized as an important health issue for female OEF/OIF/OND veterans, there is little attention to stressful experiences that may exacerbate health problems or hinder recovery among veterans who may have experienced TBI. Lifetime intimate partner violence (IPV) is common among general samples of female veterans. Given the negative implications of IPV on women’s health, it is important to understand whether there is a relationship between lifetime IPV and health functioning among female veterans who have experienced possible TBI. This study provides an exploration of lifetime IPV and its associations with physical and mental health, as well as community reintegration, among female OEF/OIF/OND veterans who have been evaluated for TBI. The sample comprised 127 female veterans who participated in a larger study that examined reintegration among OEF/OIF/OND veterans who received a TBI evaluation in the Veterans Heath Administration (VHA) and completed an assessment of lifetime IPV. Primary and secondary data sources included survey responses (e.g., health symptoms and reintegration) and VHA administrative data (e.g., health diagnoses). Results indicated that nearly two thirds (63.0%) of women who completed a TBI evaluation reported lifetime IPV, though clinician-confirmed TBI was not associated with IPV. Women who experienced IPV, compared with those who did not, reported higher levels of neurobehavioral symptoms and were significantly more likely to have diagnoses of back pain (48.6% vs. 30.0%, respectively) and substance abuse (12.2% vs. 0%, respectively). Notwithstanding, women with and without lifetime IPV reported similar levels of reintegration. Findings provide evidence that lifetime IPV may be common among female OEF/OIF/OND veterans who are evaluated for TBI, and that IPV is associated with several treatable health problems among this population.

scholarly journals Exploring the intersection of traumatic brain injury and mental health in survivors of intimate partner violence

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Toccalino ◽  
Amy Moore ◽  
Sophia Chuon Gutierrez ◽  
Angela Colantonio ◽  
Christine M. Wickens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Heterosexual Relationships ◽  
Economic Implications

Introduction: One in four Canadian women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased rates of IPV globally and the level of violence encountered, exposing IPV survivors to greater risk of physical injury, including traumatic brain injury (TBI). Up to 75% of survivors are suspected of sustaining a TBI and 50-75% experience mental health or substance use challenges (MHSU) as a result of IPV, resulting in extensive personal, social, and economic implications. Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to synthesize what is currently known in the literature about MHSU and TBI among survivors of IPV and identify gaps. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for relevant articles using a search strategy including text words and subject headings related to TBI, IPV, and MHSU. Two reviewers independently assessed articles for inclusion. Results: The search identified 399 unique articles, 34 of which were included in this study. Of these, 11 articles reported on MHSU in IPV-related TBI and 9 articles reported on both TBI and MHSU in IPV but did not discuss the groups together. The remainder were reviews or theses that noted MHSU in IPV-related TBI. Included articles predominantly focused on cis-gendered women in heterosexual relationships and were conducted in the United States. Only three articles focused on the experiences of Black or Indigenous women and none of the included studies discussed implications of co-occurring TBI and MHSU on survivor’s healthcare-related needs or access to care. Conclusions: Despite the high rates of co-occurring TBI and MHSU among survivors of IPV, there is little research on this intersection and no investigation of the impacts on the health system. Future research should focus on identifying the healthcare-related needs of survivors and identifying and mitigating barriers to access.

scholarly journals Living in Fear and Prioritizing Safety: Exploring Women’s Lives After Traumatic Brain Injury From Intimate Partner Violence

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 1708-1718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda St Ivany ◽  
Linda Bullock ◽  
Donna Schminkey ◽  
Kristen Wells ◽  
Phyllis Sharps ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Central Process ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Risk Of Death

There is increasing evidence that women are receiving a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during episodes of intimate partner violence (IPV), but little qualitative research exists around how surviving this experience impacts the lives of women. Primary and secondary data ( N = 19) were used with a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore the lives of women aged 18 to 44 years, who were living with a TBI from IPV. Women described multiple aspects of living in fear that shaped their daily lives and ability to seek help and access resources. The central process of prioritizing safety emerged, with salient dimensions of maintaining a present orientation, exhibiting hyperprotection of children, invoking isolation as protection, and calculating risk of death. These findings add to the growing body of knowledge that women living with IPV are at high risk for receiving a TBI and are therefore a subgroup in need of more prevention and treatment resources.

scholarly journals Traumatic Brain Injury Screening and the Unmet Health Needs of Shelter-Seeking Women with Head Injuries Related to Intimate Partner Violence

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 586-593
Author(s):  
Linda Denise Oakley ◽  
Jeneile Luebke ◽  
Natalie C. Dosch ◽  
Traci R. Snedden ◽  
Hector Hernadez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Head Injuries ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Unmet Health Needs ◽  
Injury Screening

scholarly journals Associations between traumatic brain injury from intimate partner violence and future psychosocial health risks in women

2019 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 13-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine M. Iverson ◽  
Christina M. Dardis ◽  
Alessandra R. Grillo ◽  
Tara E. Galovski ◽  
Terri K. Pogoda
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Psychosocial Health ◽  
Intimate Partner

scholarly journals Interplay between traumatic brain injury and intimate partner violence: data driven analysis utilizing electronic health records

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry Y. Liu ◽  
William S. Bush ◽  
Mehmet Koyutürk ◽  
Günnur Karakurt
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Electronic Health

Abstract Background It is estimated that a majority of intimate partner violence (IPV) victims suffer from blunt force to the head, neck and the face area. Injuries to head and neck are among the major causes for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods In this interdisciplinary study, we aimed to characterize the key associations between IPV and TBI by mining de-identified electronic health records data with more than 12 M records between 1999 to 2017 from the IBM Explorys platform. For this purpose, we formulated a data-driven analytical framework to identify significant health correlates among IPV, TBI and six control cohorts. Using this framework, we assessed the co-morbidity, shared prevalence, and synergy between pairs of conditions. Results Our findings suggested that health effects attributed to malnutrition, acquired thrombocytopenia, post-traumatic wound infection, local infection of wound, poisoning by cardiovascular drug, alcoholic cirrhosis, alcoholic fatty liver, and drug-induced cirrhosis were highly significant at the joint presence of IPV and TBI. Conclusion To develop a better understanding of how IPV is related to negative health effects, it is potentially useful to determine the interactions and relationships between symptom categories. Our results can potentially improve the accuracy and confidence of existing clinical screening techniques on determining IPV-induced TBI diagnoses.

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