Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress in Women With and Without Brain Injuries Due to Intimate Partner Violence: Psychometric Evaluation of Measurement Approaches and Group Comparisons

Purpose/Objective: The current study examined the psychometric properties of common mental health questionnaires among women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) with and without brain injuries due to IPV and evaluated whether women with and without IPV-related brain injuries differed in depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. Research Method/Design: Women survivors of IPV with and without IPV-related brain injuries were recruited online through Prolific (N = 205, M = 39.8 + 11.9 years old, 83.9% non-Hispanic White, 42.4% college-educated). They completed the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8), seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), and PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition) (PCL-5). Model fit and internal consistency were estimated for each scale. Groups were compared on mental health symptom severity, with and without controlling for age, education, and IPV severity. Results: Both one-factor and multifactor models showed excellent fit for all scales. PHQ-8 (ω = .91), GAD-7 (ω = .94), and PCL-5 total scores (ω = .95) had strong reliability, and all subscale scores had acceptable-to-strong reliability (ω range = .79–.94). Women with IPV-related brain injuries reported greater physical IPV severity, higher rates of depression, and higher somatic anxiety and PTSD symptom severity. No group differences in mental health symptoms were significant after controlling for IPV severity. Conclusions/Implications: The PHQ-8, GAD-7, and PCL-5 showed evidence for reliability and validity among women survivors of IPV. Women with IPV-related brain injuries had higher PTSD symptom severity, attributable to greater physical violence exposure in general. Brain injury screening among survivors appears warranted for women with extensive physical IPV experiences. Interventions addressing PTSD, violence prevention, and brain injury recovery may best serve this population.