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The Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Traumatic Brain Injury: A Call for Interdisciplinary Research

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Abstract

An emerging body of research suggests that survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) are at a high risk for sustaining traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, most scholars and practitioners working on the problem of IPV have not examined how TBI could be related to their familiar subject of study. Concomitantly, little work in the brain injury field has been done to examine TBI in the context of IPV. In this paper, we encourage cross-collaboration among these fields. To that end, we consider the relationship between IPV and TBI; the difficulty in detecting and measuring the IPV-related TBI and ethical concerns that may arise when addressing this issue. Our work emphasizes the need to recognize the complex interplay among psycho-physiological health and socio-cultural contexts. As such, we present a socio-ecological perspective of IPV-related TBI to provide a contextual framework to guide future interdisciplinary research. Finally, we outline directions for future research.

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Notes

  1. The HELPS questionnaire is a TBI screening tool suitable for non-medically trained professionals

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology and Women’s & Gender Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 316 Graham Building, PO Box 26170, Greensboro, NC, 27402-6170, USA

    Gwen Hunnicutt

  2. Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of North Carolina Greensboro, 320 Ferguson Building, Greensboro, NC, 27402-6170, USA

    Kristine Lundgren

  3. Department of Counseling and Educational Development, University of North Carolina Greensboro, 221 Curry Building, Greensboro, NC, 27402-6170, USA

    Christine Murray

  4. Department of Communication Studies, University of North Carolina Greensboro, 102 Ferguson Building, PO Box 26170, Greensboro, NC, 27402-6170, USA

    Loreen Olson

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  1. Gwen Hunnicutt
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  2. Kristine Lundgren
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  3. Christine Murray
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  4. Loreen Olson
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Correspondence to Gwen Hunnicutt.

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Hunnicutt, G., Lundgren, K., Murray, C. et al. The Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Traumatic Brain Injury: A Call for Interdisciplinary Research. J Fam Viol 32, 471–480 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-016-9854-7

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