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. 2022 Oct;23(4):1270-1287.
doi: 10.1177/1524838019850623. Epub 2019 Jun 6.

Battered and Brain Injured: Traumatic Brain Injury Among Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence-A Scoping Review

Halina Lin Haag  1 , Dayna Jones  2 , Tracey Joseph  2 , Angela Colantonio  2   3
Affiliations

Battered and Brain Injured: Traumatic Brain Injury Among Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence-A Scoping Review

Halina Lin Haag et al. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this scoping review is to examine the extent, range, and nature of literature targeting health-care professionals on the prevalence and outcome of intimate partner violence (IPV)-related traumatic brain injury (TBI). The purpose is to gain an understanding of prevalence, investigate screening tool use, generate IPV/TBI-specific support recommendations, and identify suggestions for future research.

Method: The review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley's five stages for conducting a scoping review. A comprehensive search of nine databases revealed 1,739 articles. In total, 42 published research papers that focused specifically on TBI secondary to IPV were included in the study.

Synthesis: The literature reports inconsistencies in prevalence rates from IPV-related TBI. There are no current standardized screening practices in use, though the literature calls for a specialized tool. Frontline professionals would benefit from education on signs and symptoms of IPV-related TBI. Empirical studies are needed to generate reliable data on prevalence, experience, and needs of brain-injured survivors of TBI.

Conclusions: Findings from this study demonstrate the need for the development of an IPV-sensitive screening tool, more accurate data on prevalence, an interprofessional approach to care, and raised awareness and education on the diffuse symptoms of IPV-related TBI.

Keywords: intimate partner violence (IPV); scoping review; traumatic brain injury (TBI); women’s health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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