Edwards, Clarice
(2017)
Partner inflicted brain injury as a consequence of intimate partner violence.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Public Health Significance Intimate partner violence is a major public health problem with an estimated one in three women experiencing abuse in her lifetime. Two common acts of violence in IPV situations are blows to the head and attempted strangulation, which both increase the risk of brain injury in survivors. Although this population is likely to sustain more brain injuries than the general population, survivors of IPV are not well represented in brain injury research. This is likely due in part to several barriers to identification of IPV survivors who have endured hits to the head or oxygen deprivation, including social stigma surrounding abuse victimization.
Methods A review of the limited literature available on the topic of IPV-related brain injury was conducted using PubMed and PsycINFO databases.
Results The literature search resulted in 25 relevant articles that included both empirical articles and reviews. Several researchers have attempted to estimate the prevalence rate of brain injuries in the IPV population with small convenience samples. Overall, research suggests that IPV-related brain injuries are common and cause a myriad of negative health consequences that may be masked by or attributed to IPV experience. Additionally, this population is exposed to high levels of environmental stress and likely repeated injuries to the head leading to potentially worse outcomes than other brain injury populations.
Conclusions Due to lack of published literature and specific factors in IPV context, it is clear that more research in this specific area is necessary and that applying findings from research in other populations is not sufficient. Future research should include longitudinal studies in the IPV survivor population and accurate, nationally representative estimates of IPV-related brain injury are needed. Improvement of screening practices and development of community partnerships are critical for the success of this field moving forward and for the creation and implementation of targeted interventions.
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| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
24 February 2017 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
8 December 2016 |
| Approval Date: |
24 February 2017 |
| Submission Date: |
16 December 2016 |
| Access Restriction: |
1 year -- Restrict access to University of Pittsburgh for a period of 1 year. |
| Number of Pages: |
80 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Behavioral and Community Health Sciences |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
brain injury, intimate partner violence |
| Date Deposited: |
24 Feb 2017 16:42 |
| Last Modified: |
01 Jan 2018 06:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/30591 |
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