COLUMBUS – Domestic violence survivors commonly suffer repeated blows to the head and strangulation, resulting in “invisible’ injuries” that have lasting effects but often go unrecognized, according to research at Ohio State.
The university and the Ohio Domestic Violence Network conducted a study of domestic violence survivors and staff from agencies that deal with the victims and found that 81 percent of women who have been abused have suffered a head injury and 83 percent have been strangled.
“One in three women in the United States has experienced intimate partner violence. What we found leads us to believe that many people are walking around with undiagnosed brain injury, and we have to address that,” said lead researcher Julianna Nemeth, an assistant professor of health behavior and health promotion at Ohio State.
Brain injury caused by blows to the head and by oxygen deprivation due to strangulation are likely to cause ongoing health issues for many domestic violence survivors but Nemeth and her fellow researchers say, because of a failure to poor recognition of these lasting harms, advocates may not be counseling the women appropriately.
“Brain injury was not something we really talked about much until now. It wasn’t part of any routine training and we’re trying to address that now because of what we learned from these survivors,” said Rachel Ramirez, a study co-author and training director for the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, which has been exploring ways to ensure better diagnosis and treatment for women with brain injuries, though Ramirez says there’s a long way to go.
Women suffering from the long-term impact of these injuries could have mental health problems but also might have trouble planning for the future or making decisions about their own safety, even getting to appointments on time or doing their jobs.
The study, which appears in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, were supported by the U.S. Department of Justice.