A Community Support Network Intervention in SOAR Project Intimate Partner Violence-Related Traumatic Brain Injury

Summary

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) comprises physical, sexual and emotional abuse and controlling behaviors imposed by an intimate partner. It is estimated that up to 92% of women who survive IPV may have suffered one or more traumatic brain injuries (TBI) from blows to the head, face, and neck, and/or anoxia or hypoxia due to strangulation. Even mild TBI may manifest as alternations in consciousness, black out, dizziness, disorientation, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, muscles weakness or paralysis and deficits in memory, attention, planning as well as executive functions. These signs and symptoms of TBI and their consequences impact the quality of life of women surviving IPV. Furthermore, survivors experiencing multiple IPV may acquire larger extent of the injury. Though this is recognized as an urgent and serious issue worldwide, it has been remarkably understudied.

To improve the quality of life of women experiencing IPV-related TBI, and to prevent potential longer-term consequences, an evidence-based therapeutic treatment is an urgent need. The Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR) Project at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan was designed to integrate TBI knowledge into community-based supports. This Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) trainee application will focus on the evaluation of the effectiveness of a community support network intervention for women with IPV-related TBI. The outcomes will generate valuable evidence to inform potential new TBI-informed policies regarding community-based and health care supports for survivors of IPV.

Conditions

• Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Community Support Network (CSN) intervention

The SOAR Community Support Network (CSN) intervention is a multi-pillar, interdisciplinary system platform focused on improving higher order cognitive functions through aerobic exercise, mindfulness meditation, counselling, quality of life tracking, and cognitive exercises. The goal is to improve cognitive functions such as executive function, reasoning, and memory among those experiencing the effects of brain injury. Individually tailored protocol is administered to each participant. Goals are set daily, weekly, and monthly, and accomplishments tracked in a database. The CSN seeks to test and evaluate the success of the program when applied, and tailored, to survivors of brain injury in intimate partner violence.

BEHAVIORAL

Usual care

Participants in this group will receive dose-equivalent usual care based on the findings of a recent survey of the Canadian Rehabilitation Clinicians for concussion management, scoping review and clinical studies. Based on the evidence, usual care in this study will consist of education and aerobic exercises. Education includes information about the injury, recovery, management, nutrition, hydration, sleep, reassurance and goal setting that will be adapted to make appropriate to the population of this study. Aerobics include stationary cycling and treadmill exercises.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• BrainTrust Canada

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• The Kelowna Women's Shelter

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• ABI Wellness

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Nanaimo Brain Injury Society

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• University of British Columbia

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kelsey Helm · SOAR project at UBC

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

50 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-05-01

Primary Completion

2023-12-30

Completion

2024-05-30

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations