Identifying and documenting the long-term impact of Brain Injury on the health and well-being of Black and Latina women survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Literature Review

• Megan MacWade, Women and Gender Studies, University of Delaware

• Angela Hattery, Women & Gender Studies, University of Delaware
• Earl Smith, , University of Delaware

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects an estimated 1.5 million U.S. women annually. Survivors of intimate partner violence may experience traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of a current or former partner’s abuse. Traumatic brain injury can have long-lasting impacts on the functions of everyday life. This systematic literature reviews the linkage between IPV and TBI, as well as identifies four long-term impacts: (1) Central Nervous System (CNS) impacts, (2) cognitive impacts, (3) poor health impacts, and (4) mental health impacts.  In addition, the analysis reveals that a significant obstacle to research at the intersection of TBI and IPV is the lack of consistent, agreed-upon measures of concussions and TBI. The literature on the TBI impacts among Black and Latina women who have experienced IPV is incomplete and the analysis in this paper is a contribution towards understanding this phenomenon and fills an important research gap.