Enhancing Independence in Women Experiencing Domestic Violence and Possible Brain Injury

Abstract

Women experiencing domestic violence and/or homelessness may have undiagnosed brain damage as a result of abuse over time. Traditionally, women experiencing domestic violence have been diagnosed and treated within a psychiatric paradigm in which the women's personality deficits were thought to contribute to repeated patterns of abuse. This paradigm is increasingly challenged as researchers find that brain damage frequently occurs in women experiencing domestic violence. Such cognitive impairment may prevent women from using higher executive skills to leave the abusive environment, obtain employment needed for economic independence, and live independently in the community. The present study is an assessment of an intervention designed to address the cognitive deficits that may contribute to a woman's inability to leave the abusive environment. The intervention addressed (a) safety planning, (b) drug and alcohol awareness, (c) safe sex practices, (d) assertiveness and advocacy skill training, (e) anger management, (f) stress management, (g) boundary establishment and limit setting, (h) vocational and educational skill training, (i) money management, (j) housing application, (k) leisure exploration, and (l) hygiene, medication routine, and nutrition. Goal attainment scaling (GAS) was used to evaluate participant outcomes. The participants' raw GAS scores were converted to standardized T scores to indicate whether the participants achieved their expected outcome or greater. Eighty-one percent of the participants attained T scores above 50, indicating that they achieved their most favorable outcome. Nineteen percent of the participants attained T scores of 50, indicating that they achieved their expected outcome. None of the participants attained T scores less than 50, indicating that all participants achieved their expected outcome or greater.

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