As previously reported on WIA Report, nearly one in five women have experienced intimate partner violence within the past five years, which can cause immediate mental and physical health challenges. Now, a new study published in BMJ Mental Health has revealed intimate partner violence can lead to long-term brain health complications for women, even decades after the abuse occurred.
Authored by scholars from several international universities and Ohio University, the study leveraged data from the United Kingdom’s PREVENT Dementia cohort. Of the 632 participants, aged 40 to 59, 14 percent reported a history of abuse from intimate partner violence, with an average of 27 years since the abuse had ended. The majority of these individuals were women. These participants were significantly more likely to have had traumatic brain injuries, with some reporting multiple concussions from intimate partner abuse. Furthermore, these individuals were more likely to have current experiences with ongoing depression, anxiety, PTSD, and sleep disorders.
“These observations offer initial insights into the potential lifelong brain health consequences of IPV,” the authors write. “Given the global prevalence of IPV, particularly among women, these findings highlight a pressing need for further research in this field, as well as for targeted interventions to raise awareness among policymakers and medical professionals about the potential impact of IPV on health outcomes across the lifespan.”
In addition to Ohio University, the authors included scholars from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, INM Institut de Neurosciences de Montpellier in France, and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.