Intimate Partner Violence and Traumatic Brain Injury: A Public Health Issue

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.

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Neural Correlates of Traumatic Brain Injury in Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Structural and Functional Connectivity Neuroimaging Study

Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation ◽

10.1097/htr.0000000000000758 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. E30-E38

Author(s):

Jirapat Likitlersuang ◽

Emma M. Brown ◽

David H. Salat ◽

Katherine M. Iverson ◽

Kimberly Werner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Women Survivors ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Neural Correlates ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Neuroimaging Study

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Global Surge in Intimate Partner Violence after Mandatory Lockdown: Implications for Pakistan

Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association ◽

10.47391/jpma.595 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

Butool Hisam ◽

Mohammad Nadir Haider ◽

Ghazala Saleem ◽

Admin

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Violence Against Women ◽

Interpersonal Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

The United States ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

World Health ◽

Public Health Issue

We are observing with great concern the global spread of the COVID19 Pandemic. What is equally alarming is a less visible, albeit serious Public health issue; one that the United Nations has dubbed as the ‘Shadow Pandemic’ [1]. This is none other than the globally prevalent issue of violence against women, particularly Intimate Partner Violence. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a serious, possibly preventable public health problem globally. Pakistan ranks among the countries with the highest IPV rates [2]. On 11th March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the highly infectious and lethal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) to be a pandemic [3]. Drastic measures were enforced universally to curb the spread of COVID-19. Countries issued strict nationwide lockdowns to isolate the population and implemented social distancing. The economy was impacted tremendously, and many people experienced financial and emotional hardship during this mandatory confinement. While everyone was affected, one population was in a far worse situation than others. Survivors of IPV were trapped alongside their perpetrators and faced difficulty/less freedom to escape threatening situations compared to the past. It is not surprising given that historical periods of uncertainty such as war or economic crisis have resulted in increased interpersonal violence, including violence against women [4]. The Hubei province of China, the first region to undergo a lockdown, saw nearly a doubling of their rates of IPV with the start of COVID19 Pandemic. Similarly, tragic stories gained nationwide coverage in the United States. IPV may also have risen in Pakistan, even if it is not being covered as extensively. During pandemics, fear causes us to minimize our personal needs and make sacrifices we would not normally make. This could be a reasonable approach for most but should not be for survivors of IPV. IPV survivors live in constant fear for themselves and their children; they are now devoid of their only means of mitigation; avoidance. Local woman’s support groups in Pakistan should act and spread awareness about this grim reality hiding underneath the Pandemic. Resources/funding should be made available for survivors to be able to reach out for support without having to leave the watchful eyes of their perpetrators. Public health officials ought to investigate and document the rise in IPV to help identify the leading causes of the increase. These steps will assist in developing crisis-specific guidelines to provide adequate resources for the future. Continuous....

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

Qualitative Health Research ◽

10.1177/1049732318786705 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (11) ◽

pp. 1708-1718 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

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.

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Intimate Partner Violence on Instagram: Visualizing a Public Health Approach to Prevention

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/1090198119873917 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 46 (2_suppl) ◽

pp. 90S-96S ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kellie E. Carlyle ◽

Jeanine P. D. Guidry ◽

Sharyn A. Dougherty ◽

Candace W. Burton

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Ecological Model ◽

Causal Attribution ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Public Health Issue ◽

Public Health Approach ◽

Significant Public Health ◽

Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms like Instagram are often used as venues for discussing relationships, making them ideal channels for promoting healthy relationships and preventing intimate partner violence (IPV). This is particularly relevant for IPV, which has been historically understood as a personal issue and lacked support for consideration as a significant public health issue. To explore a potential platform for IPV prevention, this study examines the ways in which IPV messages on Instagram reflect public health understandings of, and approaches to, prevention and how Instagram users engage with these posts. We analyzed 700 Instagram posts about IPV using the social ecological model as the theoretical framework for conceptualizing framing devices. Posts that mentioned individual causal attribution and individual solution responsibility were both present in the majority of posts and elicited more engagement than posts that did not. Encouragingly, the Instagram sample was more reflective of a range of different types of IPV experiences than previous analyses of traditional media content, possibly indicating that a public health approach to this issue is gaining traction.

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