Both domestic violence and traumatic brain injury are recognized as important public health concerns, but they are often discussed as separate issues when really they should be considered together. While domestic violence can also be emotional abuse and not only physical abuse, this is an area of physical abuse that warrants more attention than it currently receives. In a recent piece for STAT News, I talk about the connection between domestic violence and traumatic brain injury:
As research on this relationship trickles in, what has been found is extremely troubling. The Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix opened a center in 2012 not only to look specifically at traumatic brain injuries among domestic violence survivors but also to connect them with treatment and assistance in navigating health systems that can be challenging even on the best of days, regardless of a person’s health and resources. Although one published study from this center is small, it hints at what may emerge given the time and effort of research on a much larger scale. Of the 115 patients in this retrospective study, 92% of those who reported one or more brain injuries related to domestic violence reported “too many injuries to quantify.
Read the full piece, here!
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7: 800-799-7233.
