Persistent post-concussion symptoms, TBI history predictive of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among veterans

This article was initially published in our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing.

A study found that persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCSs) “were associated with an increased likelihood of perpetrating IPV in the subsequent year when controlling for other common IPV risk factors,” including binge drinking, marijuana use, pain level, and probable PTSD. The study, by Galina A. Portnoy et al. and published in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, evaluated 827 veterans who completed a baseline survey and a follow-up survey a year later.

Because of the survey format of the study, researchers could not diagnose TBI or PTSD and classified veterans who responded yes to relevant questions as having a “probable” diagnosis. Of the participants, 22.8% had probable PTSD, 29.1% had a probable TBI, and they had an average of 1.86 persistent post-concussion symptoms.

The authors found that an incidence of “PPCS was associated with the occurrence of IPV perpetration yet not the frequency.” Veterans with higher PPCS scores were more likely to report IPV perpetration than those with lower scores. Portnoy et al.’s results suggest that persistent symptoms are a crucial factor, stating “it is not head injury alone but the lingering affective and cognitive effects of such injuries that seem to contribute to the likelihood of using relationship violence.” 

The Culture section of this newsletter covers a topic related to this issue.