is Head Stakeholder Liaison Alzheimer disease at Biogen.

Antonella Santuccione Chadha, MD

Depression is the leading cause of disability and a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.

 highlights, despite how common depression is across the life course, critical barriers have prevented depression from receiving sufficient resources and global attention.

 Depression has historically been stigmatized and misunderstood, and it arises due to a combination of biological, social, and psychological factors. Limited access to treatment and lack of cross-disciplinary, collaborative research and care has hindered progress. Additionally, women are disproportionately affected by depression and are twice as likely to have a diagnosis of depression as men, likely due to the combination of health inequities, gender biases, and biological factors.

 when elderly, and it might be a reason more women have dementia than men.

 Developing innovative solutions for depression—especially those focused on women that account for sex and gender differences—are critical to improving individual and collective resilience.

To develop women-focused solutions for depression, it is important to understand the various factors that contribute to women’s greater risk for depression. A health equity and public health lens is imperative. The distinction between sex and gender also needs to be clear, with sex referring to biological differences and gender encompassing socially constructed and enacted roles and behaviors shaped by historical and cultural contexts. Additionally, diagnostic tools, symptom screeners, medications, and other health tools must not have sex or gender bias.

Women in their reproductive years undergo cycle changes in steroid hormones (progesterone/estrogen) over the menstrual cycle. The role of these changes as a factor contributing to depression and mood changes is seen in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The estimated prevalence in reproductive women is 5% (PMDD) and 20% (PMS). There is growing evidence that the rise in ovarian steroid hormone production and the effect of their metabolites (in particular allopregnanolone) on central brain receptors as progesterone receptor modulators contribute to the mood symptoms in 

 More research is needed to understand the long-term neurological impacts of birth control and hormone therapy.

 Treatments are now being developed to target these newer proposed actions of hormones on the central brain systems with either 

 (removing the natural fluctuations in hormones) or “correcting” the neurotransmitter or 

 with the use oftargeted specific antidepressants.

The female preponderance in depression occurs largely during the reproductive years, is not evident before puberty, and is less marked after menopause. Societal factors may also play an important role; even in developed countries, women still often take a greater responsibility for child rearing and domestic activities while still being expected to progress their careers—known as a “double day.” Women worldwide are also the majority of caregivers for family members needing health care; often this role is unpaid.

Depression is also linked to intimate partner violence (IPV). 

 globally have experienced physical or sexual IPV.

 Since the outbreak of COVID-19, IPV has escalated and been called the 

 of COVID-19. In numerous countries, there has been a 

, likely fueled by effects and mitigation strategies of COVID-19.

 would be affected by IPV for every 3 months of lockdown.

One particularly devastating yet unaddressed and long neglected impact is the mental and brain health effects—

including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and depression

—resulting from IPV. Numerous studies have found that women exposed to IPV are more likely to develop depression than women who are not exposed.

 This finding is not surprising, given that mental health issues are common sequelae of brain injury that may emerge and worsen years after injury. However, IPV is too often left out of conversations around prevention and treatment of depression.

It is also important to note the connection between depression and chronic health conditions in women, such as heart disease. Since 1989, heart disease has been 

 Women are also more likely than men to die after a heart attack.

Women are more likely to be undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or poorly treated for their heart disease due to pervasive bias and the male body being the default for biomedical care and research. Additionally, 

the Guidelines for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women

 by the American Heart Association show the profound impact of hypertension, diabetes, and depression on women’s hearts.

 It is imperative to understand the huge impact of psychosocial risk factors on women’s hearts and address problems including depression and social isolation.

Understanding the role of depression in dementia for women is also imperative. 

The WHAM Report (Women’s Health Access Matters)

 found that women are 66% of the nearly 7 million people in the United States with Alzheimer disease, and yet just 12% of 2019 NIH Alzheimer disease fund went to projects focused on women.

 Even more, the report showed the following: (1) Doubling the funds for women’s Alzheimer disease research pays for itself 3 times over; (2) this 224% return on investment adds 15% more to our economy than general Alzheimer disease research; and (3) adding $300 million for research on women generates $930 million in economic gains, adds back 4000 years of life, eliminates 6500 Alzheimer disease and related dementias, and saves 3500 years of nursing home care and costs. Depression is 

one of the largest modifiable risk factors

 Thus, understanding the link between depression and dementia and accounting for depression in dementia prevention strategies in women is essential.

Novel, women-focused solutions can reduce the impact of depression and increase global resilience. As a recent 

 finds, women’s health solutions often remain siloed to pregnancy and reproductive-related issues.

There is a dearth of women-focused solutions for chronic health and behavioral health and an even larger gap for solutions at the intersection of both.

 Women-focused solutions that include technology, drug development, and devices are urgently needed. Additionally, convergence solutions that combine multiple domains and technologies, such as blending platform and frontier technologies, are key.

Developing women-focused solutions is not only a medical and moral imperative—there is also significant economic and commercial upside. Emergen Research projects that the global market for women’s health will reach $60 billion in 2027.

 Additionally, women are the chief medical officers of society, controlling 80% of health care decisions in the United States and spending 29% more per capita on health care compared to men.

By developing women-focused solutions for depression that account for various factors, including the relationship between depression with heart disease and dementia in women, we can build a more resilient society and world.

is an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at Global Brain Health Institute, a Thiel Fellow at Stanford University, and a Steering Committee member for OECD-PRODEO Institute Neuroscience-inspired Policy Initiative.

is CEO of PRODEO and cofounder of the PRODEO Institute.

is founder and chief director of the Center for BrainHealth at UT Dallas. She is a distinguished professor at UT Dallas.

is a reproductive endocrinologist at Baylor College of Medicine. He is an active member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and the North American Menopause Society, with a special interest in the role of steroid hormones on cognitive function. 

is deputy secretary of public health in the Victorian Department of Health and Honorary Melbourne Enterprise Professor with the University of Melbourne. 

is a NHMRC senior principal research fellow, Alfred Deakin professor of psychiatry at Deakin University, and director of the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation 

is CEO and cofounder of the Women’s Brain Project.

is colead of the OECD-PRODEO Institute NIPI.He is a senior fellow in brain capital for the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. He holds adjunct or advisory roles with IMPACT at Deakin University, the Heka Fund, Brain Health Nexus at Cohen Veterans Bioscience, GBHI, Baylor College of Medicine, Latin American Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Chile, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative and the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association.

1. Herrman H, Patel V, Kieling C, et al. 

Time for united action on depression: a Lancet-World Psychiatric Association Commission.

Midlife vs late-life depressive symptoms and risk of dementia: differential effects for Alzheimer disease and vascular dementia.

4. Savolainen-Peltonen H, Rahkola-Soisalo P, Hoti F, et al. 

Use of postmenopausal hormone therapy and risk of Alzheimer’s disease in Finland: nationwide case-control study.

5. Schmidt PJ, Martinez PE, Nieman LK, et al. 

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms following ovarian suppression: triggered by change in ovarian steroid levels but not continuous stable levels.

6. Hantsoo L, Grillon C, Sammel M, et al. 

Response to sertraline is associated with reduction in anxiety-potentiated startle in premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

7. Breiding MJ, Smith SG, Basile KC, et al. 

Prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence victimization--national intimate partner and sexual violence survey, United States, 2011.

When pandemics clash: gendered violence-related traumatic brain injuries in women since COVID-19.

9. Mlambo-Ngcuka P. Gender-based violence: we must flatten the curve of this shadow pandemic. November 25, 2020. Accessed May 12, 2022. 

https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/november-december-2020/gender-based-violence-we-must-flatten-curve-shadow-pandemic

10. Ellsberg M, Jansen HAFM, Heise L, et al. 

Intimate partner violence and women’s physical and mental health in the WHO multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence: an observational study.

11. Mehta LS, Beckie TM, DeVon HA, et al. 

Acute myocardial infarction in women: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

12. Mosca L, Benjamin EJ, Berra K, et al. 

Effectiveness-based guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in women--2011 update: a guideline from the American Heart Association.

Societal Impact of Research Funding for Women’s Health in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

14. Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, et al. 

Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission.

15. DeSilva J, Krasniansky A. Building comprehensive women+ digital health: Eight sectors serving women+ needs. Rock Health. September 27, 2021. Accessed May 12, 2022. 

https://rockhealth.com/insights/building-comprehensive-women-digital-health-eight-sectors-serving-women-needs/

16. Femtech Market By Type (Devices, Software, Services), By End-Use (Direct-to-Consumer, Hospitals, Fertility Clinics, Surgical Centers, Diagnostic Centers), By Application (Reproductive Health, Pregnancy & Nursing Care, Pelvic & Uterine Healthcare), By Region, Forecasts to 2027. EMERGEN Research. June 2021. Accessed May 12, 2022. 

https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/femtech-market

17. Femtech—time for a digital revolution in the women’s health market. Frost & Sullivan. January 31, 2018. Accessed May 12, 2022. 

https://www.frost.com/frost-perspectives/femtechtime-digital-revolution-womens-health-market/

18. Gambon E, Stotz C, Sandhu N. Femtech is expansive—it’s time to start treating it as such. Rock Health. August 3, 2020. Accessed May 12, 2022. 

https://rockhealth.com/femtech-is-expansive-its-time-to-start-treating-it-as-such/

Articles

Here’s why we should be paying special attention to women's depression treatment.  

Mind-Body Resilience for Women: A Focus on Depression

Violence against women, which can result in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other acquired brain injuries (ABIs), intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. A comprehensive and long-term strategy is required to address this issue and to ensure the mental well-being of women.

In July 2021, social media influencer Gabby Petito and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, embarked on a cross-country road trip captured on Instagram and YouTube.

 In September, Laundrie returned—alone. Weeks later, Petito’s remains were found. It was determined that she died from strangulation, and her case opened a national conversation about intimate partner violence (IPV).

Tragically, Petito’s case is just 1 of many. There has been an increase in IPV, illuminating a shadow pandemic within the 

 Even before COVID-19, 1 in 3 women (approximately 1.27 billion women worldwide) experienced IPV.

 Further, more than one-third (30,000) of the women killed in 2017 in the US died at the hands of their current or former intimate partner.

 In 2020, calls to helplines increased 5-fold in some countries.

 In some nations, there has been a 300% increase in police reports of IPV, likely fueled by COVID-19 mitigation strategies.

 UN Women projected that an additional 15 million women would be affected by IPV for every 3 months of lockdown.

The neurological consequences and IPV-related ABIs, including TBI, are devastating. Despite recent increased focus on sports-related TBI, little attention has been paid to TBI resulting from IPV.

 Yet, up to 90% of IPV survivors report head, neck, and facial injuries, which can result in TBI.

 One study found that 74% of the women who experienced IPV sustained at least 1 IPV-related TBI and 51% suffered repetitive IPV-related TBIs.

 The study also found higher brain injury scores were negatively associated with memory, learning, and cognitive flexibility and positively associated with a number of measures of psychological distress.

IPV-related ABI also includes nontraumatic brain injuries. Research has shown that 1 in 10 women has been choked by an intimate partner,

 with long-term implications. Plus, prior nonfatal strangulation has been associated with greater than 6-fold odds of becoming a victim of attempted homicide and more than 7-fold odds of becoming a victim of completed homicide.

 The high-profile strangulation homicide of Petito underscores femicide in IPV, which remains commonplace.

In addition, women who experience IPV also are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, and other health problems that can last after the violence has ended.

There is also concern that repeated TBIs from IPV may result in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that cannot be diagnosed until postmortem.

 For instance, a 1990 report identified a case of a woman who apparently developed CTE from partner abuse.

 In 2021, during a postmortem examination of a young woman who died after a 

, immunohistochemical staining for phosphor-τ revealed evidence of CTE-type pathology.

 This marked the first case of CTE pathology in a young woman who experienced IPV. However, there remains a lack of research investigating the long-term neurological consequences; research is needed to understand the potential for misdiagnosis, nondiagnosis, or the development of 

 The latter is especially important because TBI has been identified as a modifiable risk factor for dementia.

The neurological effects of IPV extend to the family and remain underresearched. A recent Brain Injury Australia report found that of 16,000 survivors of family violence attending Victoria hospitals over a decade’s time, 2 in every 5 had suffered brain injury.

Further, nearly 1 in 3 of the survivors of family violence were children; of those, 1 in 4 had suffered a brain injury. Because this was not a study of IPV but of hospitalizations, it likely represents the tip of the iceberg. Another study across 5 domestic abuse shelters in Arizona found 9 in every 10 individuals reported a head injury with loss of consciousness from family violence in the preceding 12 months.

 Of those, 9 in 10 reported “too many head injuries to quantify.” Yet only 1 in 5 ever sought medical attention. Thus, community rates of IPV ABI remain radically underresearched.

Most domestic violence shelters and emergency department settings do not assess for TBI, nonfatal strangulation, or other brain injuries from IPV.

 Plus, many women do not seek medical care for their IPV-related ABI.

 However, even when women interact with health care and domestic violence advocates, there is a lack of training to adequately screen for and address IPV-related ABI.

Further, a study of women in prison found that 78% had significant head injury; 84% had experienced repeated head injury largely due to domestic abuse.

 are not adequately accounted for in the criminal justice system. The staggering number of women who have experienced abuse and are now in prison also further necessitates development of a trauma-informed criminal justice system.

IPV-related ABI adds yet another injustice to the brain health gap, which highlights and frames the sex and 

 in outcomes for brain health disorders across the life span, with strikingly negative outcomes for women.

 Research institutions are calling for more female participants in preclinical development of medications, clinical trials, and clinical practice, as well as the expansion of research designed to focus on culturally relevant experiences specific to individuals who identify as female. This will enable collection of more robust and representative data. Big data, real-world evidence, and precision medicine approaches should be used to respond to the call to action. Furthermore, investing in public health efforts is imperative to translate these data and perspectives into action. Women remain underrepresented in health care leadership, underlining the lack of gendered consideration in care. These efforts and initiatives are especially important for research, clinical care, and training related to IPV.

Likewise, the world is suffering a global brain capital collapse.

 Brain capital is a novel econometric asset that puts a premium on brain health and skills in our brain economy.

 This is a form of capital relevant to a complex, interconnected, and fragile global economy. Brain capital needs to be integral to a new narrative of growth and progress that puts individuals and their well-being, health, interaction with others, and psychological resilience at the center of our economic system. Female empowerment—which includes preventing and addressing violence against women and better identifying and caring for the neurological effects in survivors—is a public and brain health imperative as well as the most effective way to build brain capital globally.

Addressing gendered violence and related ABIs can be remedied by integrating the social, medical, political, policy, and diplomatic levels. Taking sex and gender into account—including structural and social determinants—is critical for equality in brain health and precision medicine. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) New Approaches to Economic Challenges Unit’s Neuroscience-inspired Policy Initiative (NIPI) seeks to tackle this issue.

 We aim to find new ways to reconceptualize and revitalize the economy and how it works, laying the groundwork to identify relevant metrics while building a transdisciplinary network of stakeholders. The effort draws on experts from medicine, neuroscience, gender analysis, economic policy, philanthropy, and business. The initiative will rapidly refine and advance women’s brain health via a series of research projects, seminars, and clear policy analyses and recommendations. We hope to help build a future in which al individuals are equipped with the support, resources, and care they need to thrive and in turn build a more resilient society and world.

is an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) (at the University of California, San Francisco and Trinity College Dublin), a Thiel Fellow at Stanford University and Steering Committee member for NIPI (OECD, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute and the PRODEO Institute). 

 is the CEO of Brain Injury Australia. Dr Valera is an associate professor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a research scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr Chadha ishead stakeholder, Engagement for Alzheimer disease at Biogen and Pro Bono CEO and cofounder of the Women’s Brain Project. 

is head of the OECD New Approaches to Economic Challenges Unit, senior advisor to the OECD secretary general and colead of OECD NIPI. 

is advisor to the chief of staff and gender advisor at OECD. 

is a senior clinical advisor for Cohen Veterans Bioscience’s trauma research programs. She serves as strategic advisor coleading CVB’s Suicide Strategy Initiative. 

is colead of OECD NIPI, strategic advisor to the HEKA Fund (Newfund Capital and Fondation FondaMental), steering committee member for the Brain Health Nexus at Cohen Veterans Bioscience, and holds adjunct roles with IMPACT at Deakin University, GBHI, and Baylor College of Medicine.

1. Rosman K. How the case of Gabrielle Petito galvanized the internet. 

. October 20, 2021. Accessed November 20, 2021. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/20/style/gabby-petito-case-tiktok-social-media.html

2. Santucci J. Gabby Petito was strangled. Experts say such an assault is a red flag for intimate partner homicides. 

 October 12, 2021. Updated October 13, 2021. Accessed November 20, 2021. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/10/12/gabby-petito-strangled-experts-say-its-common-intimate-partner-violence/8426282002/

A pandemic within a pandemic - intimate partner violence during Covid-19.

5. Breiding MJ, Smith SG, Basile KC, et al. 

Prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence victimization—national intimate partner and sexual violence survey, United States, 2011.

6. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Global study on homicide: gender-related killing of women and girls. 2018. Accessed November 20, 2021. 

https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/GSH2018/GSH18_Gender-related_killing_of_women_and_girls.pdf

7. Mlambo-Ngcuka P. Gender-based violence: we must flatten the curve of this shadow pandemic. November-December 2020. Accessed November 20, 2021. 

8. Pandaram J. Concussion in sport: domestic violence victims show same brain injury trauma as athletes with CTE. 

Intimate partner violence and traumatic brain injury: state of the science and next steps.

10. Liu LY, Bush WS, Koyutürk M, Karakurt G. 

Interplay between traumatic brain injury and intimate partner violence: data driven analysis utilizing electronic health records.

12. Monahan K, Purushotham A, Biegon A. Neurological implications of nonfatal strangulation and intimate partner violence.

13. Glass N, Laughon K, Campbell J, et al. 

Non-fatal strangulation is an important risk factor for homicide of women.

Adult experience of mental health outcomes as a result of intimate partner violence victimisation: a systematic review.

Intimate partner violence, traumatic brain injury, and social work: moving forward

16. Monahan K. Intimate partner violence and traumatic brain injury: a public health issue. 

17. Stern RA, Daneshvar DH, Baugh CM, et al. 

Clinical presentation of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

18. Baugh CM, Stamm JM, Riley DO, et al. 

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy: neurodegeneration following repetitive concussive and subconcussive brain trauma.

19. Roberts GW, Whitwell HL, Acland PR, Bruton CJ. 

20. Danielsen T, Hauch C, Kelly L, White CL. 

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)-type neuropathology in a young victim of domestic abuse.

Evaluating spousal abuse as a potential risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease: rationale, needs and challenges.

22. Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, et al. 

Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission

23. Brain Injury Australia. The prevalence of acquired brain injury among victims and perpetrators of family violence. 2018. Accessed November 20, 2021. 

https://www.braininjuryaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/BRAININJURYAUSTRALIAfamilyviolencebraininjuryFINAL.pdf

Traumatic brain injury in domestic violence victims: a retrospective study at the Barrow Neurological Institute.

Head trauma in a community-based sample of victims of intimate partner violence: prevalence, mechanisms of injury and symptom presentation.

 Published online May 15, 2021;8862605211016362.

Brain injury in women experiencing intimate partner-violence: neural mechanistic evidence of an “invisible” trauma.

27. McMillan TM, Aslam H, Crowe E, et al. 

Associations between significant head injury and persisting disability and violent crime in women in prison in Scotland, UK: a cross-sectional study.

28. Aragam GG, Kawaguchi N, Hynes W, et al. Highlighting brain-based inequalities for women: from bedside and boardroom to policy. 

 May 5, 2021. Accessed November 20, 2021. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/brain-based-inequalities-women

29. Smith E, Kawaguchi N, Chapman SB, et al. Closing the brain health gap: addressing women’s inequalities. Oxford University Press Blog. August 21, 2021. Accessed November 20, 2021. 

https://blog.oup.com/2021/08/closing-the-brain-health-gap-addressing-womens-inequalities/

A brain capital grand strategy: toward economic reimagination. 

31. Eyre HA, Ayadi R, Ellsworth W, et al. 

32. Ellsworth W, Smith E, Chapman SB, et al. Move over data, brain capital is the new oil. 

 January 14, 2021. Accessed November 20, 2021. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/move-over-data-brain-capital-is-the-new-oil

33. Neuroscience-inspired policy initiative. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Accessed November 20, 2021. 

Violence against women and resulting traumatic brain injuries increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Violence Against Women and Acquired Brain Injuries

Violence against women, which often results in 

 (TBI) and other acquired brain injuries (ABIs), has intensified during the COVID pandemic. Violence against women is a clear violation of human rights and a legal and moral failure of society. It likewise contributes to the brain health gap as well as presents as a major economic problem. As the world struggles to emerge from COVID-induced health and economic decline, women are a major key to the economic recovery. A comprehensive and long-term strategy is required to shed light on and address this dire issue and to ensure the mental well-being women as well as unlock the power of women to drive the economic recovery.

During July 2021, social media influencer Gabby Petito, aged 22, and her fiancé Brian Laundrie, aged 23, embarked from New York on a cross-country road trip captured on Instagram and YouTube.

 In September, Brian returned early from the trip—and alone. Weeks later, Gabby’s remains were found. It was determined that Gabby died from strangulation, and her case opened a national conversation about 

Tragically, Gabby’s case is just one of many. There has been an increase in IPV, illuminating a shadow pandemic within the COVID-19 pandemic.

, 1 in 3 women (approximately 1.27 billion individuals out of the 3.82 billion women in the world) are estimated to have experienced IPV.

 Further, more than one-third (30,000) of the women killed in 2017 were killed by their current or former intimate partner.

 COVID-19 has escalated the rates of IPV. Calls to helplines have increased five-fold in some countries in 2020.4In numerous countries, there has been a 300% increase in police reports of IPV, likely fueled by COVID-19 mitigation strategies.

 UN Women had projected that an additional 15 million women would be affected by IPV for every 3 months of lockdown.

Although this increase in violence will have multipronged effects, the neurological effects and IPV-related acquired brain injury (ABI), including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), is particularly devastating. Despite the increasing attention in the last 10 years paid to sports-related TBI, little attention has been paid to TBI resulting from IPV.

 Up to 90% of survivors of IPV report head, neck, and face injuries, many of which result in TBI.

 One study examining brain injury in women who experienced IPV found that 74% of the women sustained at least one IPV-related TBI and 51% sustained repetitive IPV-related TBIs.11 Moreover, the study found a higher brain injury score from IPV was negatively associated with memory, learning, and cognitive flexibility and positively associated with a number of measures of psychological distress.

IPV-related ABI also includes nontraumatic brain injuries. Research has shown that 1 out of 10 women have been strangled by an intimate partner,

 which can cause a multitude of neurological problems, including hypoxic-anoxic brain injury, with long-term implications. As Gabby’s case emphasized, strangulation can result not just in hypoxic-anoxic brain injury but also in death. Indeed, prior non-fatal strangulation has been found to be associated with greater than 6-fold odds of becoming a victim of attempted homicide, and more than 7-fold odds of becoming a victim of completed homicide.

 The high-profile fatal strangulation murder of Gabby underscores femicide in IPV, which devastatingly remains commonplace.

In addition to TBI, hypoxic-anoxic brain injury, and other forms of acquired brain injury, women who experience IPV also are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, and many other health problems that can last even after the violence has ended, potentially detaching them from the labor market.

There is also a growing concern that women who experience repeated TBIs from IPV may develop chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that cannot be diagnosed until postmortem.

 Unfortunately, the literature tells their tales. For instance, a report from 1990 identified a case of a women who apparently developed CTE from partner abuse.

In honor of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, 2021, let’s consider the impact of IPV on the neuropsychiatric health of women. 

Antonella Santuccione Chadha, MD

Articles

Mind-Body Resilience for Women: A Focus on Depression

Violence Against Women and Acquired Brain Injuries

Shedding Light on the Shadow Brain Pandemic: The Devastating Effects of Gendered Violence-Related Acquired Brain Injury

Boosting Brain Health After COVID-19: A Convergence Solution