Intimate Partner Violence and Other Trauma Exposures in Females with Traumatic Brain Injury.

We examined whether females with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and intimate partner violence (IPV) have greater exposure to lifetime trauma relative to females with TBI but no IPV history. Further, we assessed the effects of lifetime trauma on psychological outcomes following TBI. Female participants (n=70; age M(SD)= 50.5(15.2) years) with TBI (time since injury median (IQR)= 10.2 (5.3-17.8) years) completed a structured assessment of lifetime history of TBI, including an IPV module to query head injuries from physical violence by an intimate partner. We characterized lifetime trauma exposure with the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaire and Survey of Exposure to Community Violence (CV). We evaluated psychological functioning with self-report questionnaires of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms. Compared to those with no IPV history (n=51), participants reporting IPV-related head injuries (n=19; 27.1%) reported more ACEs (M(SD) IPV: 4.5(2.9); No IPV: 1.6(1.8), p<.001, d=1.08) and greater CV (IPV: 17.5(8.4); No IPV: 7.6(6.1), p<.001, d=1.26). Within the full sample, ACEs (β=0.21, 95% CI= 0.04-0.39) and CV (β=0.07, 95% CI=0.01-0.13) predicted worse PTSD symptoms, while IPV alone did not. Exposure to all three sources of trauma (ACEs, CV, and IPV) was associated with worse PTSD symptoms relative to fewer traumas. The results highlight the scope of traumatic exposures among TBI survivors, and the importance of considering IPV and other lifetime trauma exposure in assessing and treating TBI. Trauma-informed interventions that are modified for TBI-related impairment may offer improved outcomes in managing psychological symptoms.