Many domestic violence survivors carry a brain injury that no one checks for. Its symptoms look like anxiety, depression, and PTSD, so the real cause often goes untreated. New research explains why it is missed, who is affected, and why screening should become part of survivor care.

A bruise fades. A broken bone shows up on an X-ray. But some of the most serious harm from domestic violence never shows on the skin. It happens inside the head.

Researchers now say domestic violence brain injury is one of the most overlooked health problems facing survivors. Many people live with it for years without anyone naming it. Instead, they are often told they have anxiety, depression, or PTSD.

The Foundation’s guiding belief is that research without humanity is just data. This article looks at the numbers, and at the people behind them.

Abusers often aim for the head, neck, and face. “Almost 90% or more of IPV is targeted to the head, neck and face,” said Sam Goldstein, a University of Florida researcher. “You don’t necessarily see anything because it doesn’t always leave marks.”

Choking, strangulation, shaking, shoving, and direct blows can all injure the brain. A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, happens when force to the head disrupts how the brain works. Concussions are the most familiar type.

The scale matters, too. Even if only a share of those survivors sustain a head injury, the number of people affected is large.

Brain injury symptoms look a lot like mental health symptoms. Headaches, trouble concentrating, memory gaps, irritability, and sleep problems can come from either one.

Because of that overlap, the injury is easy to miss. Researchers at Monash University found that symptoms are often put down to PTSD or substance use rather than a head injury. Goldstein adds that PTSD, in particular, shares many symptoms with brain injury.

Screening is another gap. Most brain injury protocols were built for sports, not for survivors of abuse, according to the Monash team. As a result, no standard screening step exists in most clinical settings.

Finally, nothing may show on the body. When there are no marks, no one thinks to ask.

Early findings point in the same direction. The University of Florida pilot study looked at 125 military spouses who had experienced partner violence. Those with head trauma reported higher anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. More of them also reported chronic pain.

The study is small, and the results are preliminary. It has not yet been published. Even so, it fits a growing body of work.

Research at a Glance

• University of Florida (2026): in 125 military spouses, IPV-related head trauma went along with higher anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and chronic pain. Findings are preliminary.
• Monash University (2026): about half of women who experienced IPV showed signs of probable PTSD, anxiety, or depression. Among women without IPV, fewer than 10% did.
• Shelter-based screening study: most women (77.8%) screened positive for probable brain injury.

Together, these studies raise a hard question. If brain injury and mental health symptoms travel together, treating only one may leave part of the problem untouched.

A survivor who receives therapy for anxiety or depression is getting real help. However, if an unrecognized brain injury drives some symptoms, that care may not reach the root cause. Dizziness, for example, could come from a head injury rather than stress.

The case for adding TBI screening to survivor care is straightforward. A few simple questions can flag who needs a closer look. Researchers point toward four steps:

Goldstein intends to examine screening recommendations in veterans’ and military health settings. The same logic applies in community clinics and shelters.

Awareness is the first step. Anyone who has been hit in the head or choked by a partner can tell a doctor and ask about a brain injury evaluation. Friends, family members, and advocates can raise the same question. Support resources appear in the sidebar.

Domestic violence has long been understood as an emotional and physical crisis. Evidence now suggests it is also a neurological one. Naming that injury is how better care begins.