Babies born to mothers who experience domestic violence during pregnancy have altered brain development and changes in brain structure. In females, maternal exposure to IPV was associated with a smaller amygdala, a brain area associated with social and emotional development. In males, the caudate nucleus size was increased. This brain area is associated with multiple functions including memory, learning, reward, and movement. The findings may explain why children of mothers who experience domestic abuse are more likely to suffer from mental health problems later in life.
Study reveals women who experience domestic abuse are three times more likely to contract HIV infection.
Victims of physical domestic violence are 12 times more likely to suffer a TBI than athletes or members of the military, a new study reports. However, many victims' injuries go undiagnosed or untreated.
Women and men who have suffered abuse at the hands of an intimate partner are twice as likely to self-harm, twice as likely to have suicidal ideations, and three times as likely to attempt suicide as those who have not experienced abusive relationships.
Study reveals blunted activity in the medial prefrontal cortex was associated with aggressive behaviors by abusive partners in relationships.
Many survivors of domestic violence are likely to have experienced repeated head injuries and oxygen deprivation. The injuries resulted in memory loss, anxiety, and visual problems. Of the 49 people interviewed for this study, 81% report being hit in the head by their partner, while 83% report strangulation events.
Researchers have identified specific risk factors, including coercive control, greater age differences and physical abuse, as predictors of sexual violence in a young woman's first romantic relationship.
Researchers report menopausal women who experience intimate partner violence and emotional abuse have increased risk of developing heightened symptoms of menopause.