Survivors of domestic abuse could be living with invisible impact of brain injury, a new study shows

Survivors of domestic abuse, who may have sustained a brain injury, are not getting support for the often-hidden impacts of their injury, a new study by The Disabilities Trust has revealed. The research - which adds to mounting evidence of the links between domestic abuse and brain injury - illustrates the need for domestic abuse practitioners to have more training on the impact of a potentially invisible brain injury and to close the gap on this misunderstood area.

The study reveals that survivors ‘often’ report symptoms or causes of brain injury, including blows to the head, face or neck (56%), being thrown against the wall or floor (56%), and ‘sometimes’ having their teeth knocked out (66%) or loss of consciousness (66%). However, 81% of domestic abuse practitioners who responded to The Disabilities Trust study have received no previous training on brain injury and nearly two thirds felt mostly unprepared to identify symptoms meaning that the potential life changing impacts of a brain injury remain unseen and unsupported.

The results of this important study show that questions about possible causes of brain injuries are not being asked regularly or consistently enough in domestic abuse services and there is an apparent disconnect between what domestic abuse practitioners believe the prevalence to be, in comparison to the regularity of potential causes of injuries reported by survivors.

The study also revealed:-

• Nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents felt ‘mostly unprepared’ to identify symptoms of brain injury
• Only 10% had heard of or used the Brain Injury Screening Index (BISI) ; and there was even less knowledge of other screening tools

Jess Phillips MP, Shadow Minister for Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding, said: “This instructive study undertaken by The Disabilities Trust further pushes us to understand the emerging and alarming link between brain injury and domestic abuse. Practitioners in domestic abuse services, and all practitioners who have the opportunity to support survivors, need the right support and training to understand the impact of a brain injury and how to ensure survivors get the care they need. I am committed to understanding more as the Disabilities Trust move their research forward.”

Chris Bryant MP, Chair of the APPG on Brain Injury said: “Far too many people with a brain injury remain invisible. I welcome this further research from The Disabilities Trust which shines a light on the limited awareness of the link between domestic abuse and brain injuries. It is critical that we ensure that providers of domestic abuse services receive the right training in order to ensure survivors are afforded the proper neurorehabilitation they need, so they can understand the condition they are living with and recover to as fulfilling life as possible.”

Irene Sobowale, CEO of The Disabilities Trust, said: “The stories survivors have so bravely shared with us, describing their injuries and the hidden impacts they continue to live with years later, have stayed with me and the team at The Disabilities Trust, motivating us to push forward this emerging area of research and understanding. We are committed to ensuring practitioners have the information and training to feel equipped to support survivors with a brain injury.”

The Trust first started exploring the link in 2016 undertaking the first study of its kind internationally, providing a dedicated service to support the identification and rehabilitation of female offenders with a history of brain injury, in HMP/YOI Drake Hall. From this work, we found that domestic abuse is a significant cause of brain injury amongst female offenders. As published in ‘Making the Link’, some 62% of the women we worked with sustained their injury through domestic violence.   The women The Disabilities Trust supported in HMP Drake Hall described to us prolonged periods of intense violence that was often directed towards their head while they were unconscious. This is backed up within international research which shows survivors of abuse commonly suffer blows to the head and strangulation, leaving lasting psychological and physical trauma, with symptoms which are often ‘unseen’ and unrecognised by services.

The impact of brain injuries is often referred to as a ‘hidden disability’, as brain injures can result in a range of cognitive, behavioural and emotional symptoms which are not always immediately obvious and often go undiagnosed, as these problems are misattributed to other conditions, or even personality traits. Symptoms can include (but are not limited to) poor memory, lack of concentration, slowness to process information, emotional dysregulation and lability, anxiety, depression and fatigue, all of which may hinder a survivor’s ability to engage with, and benefit from, support services. Importantly, a brain injury can result in lack of insight, wherein an individual may be unaware of their symptoms, or the extent to which they are affected by them.

The study highlights the urgent case for further research in this area to ensure that survivors experiencing significant trauma receive the most appropriate support and treatment and can increase their self-awareness, identify coping strategies and be empowered to increase their wellbeing as they process, repair and recover from their traumatic experiences. The Trust is now developing the next phase of the research, working collaboratively with survivors of domestic abuse, and the specialist practitioners who support them, to gather further evidence. The Trust aims to drive forwards a change in policy and process, bringing brain injury and its impacts to the forefront, ensuring its inclusion in training and holistic support for survivors nationally.

The Disabilities Trust, which works alongside people with an acquired brain injury, autism, and/or learning or physical disabilities to help them live as independently as possible, is using the research to launch a new campaign, ‘Through OUR eyes’. The campaign gives everyone, whether they are the people we support or have supported, a family member, a colleague, a practitioner or supporter, the chance to tell their stories and change the narrative for people with complex and challenging disabilities.

For further information please contact: Joss Gaynor (Head of Foundation), 01444237653, Jocelyn.gaynor@thedtgroup.org

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