An estimated one in every four women and one in every nine men is a victim of domestic violence, writes Huecker, King, Jordan, and Smock (2023). This accounts for about ten million cases of domestic violence in the United States each year. USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work alumna María E. Garay-Serratos’ mother was unfortunately part of this statistic. When Garay-Serratos was a child, she would watch how her mother seemed to have tremors and confusion after getting hit by her father; she noticed similar symptoms while working as the President of an emergency shelter for those affected by domestic violence. In large part, reports Michele Carroll for USC, this led to Garay-Serratos’ work developing “This Hits Home.”
This Hits Home
Also available to watch on Amazon Prime, “This Hits Home” both explores the links between domestic violence and traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can lead to conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Garay-Serratos first conceptualized the work after her time at the emergency shelter; having seen the epidemic of head trauma in cases of domestic violence and recognizing that there were not processes in place to evaluate head trauma, Garay-Serratos felt a call to raise awareness and spread education.
In the film, Garay-Serratos also follows her quest to understand the link between CTE and domestic violence as her mother’s health declined. After sharing her family’s story at a conference, someone questioned whether Garay-Serratos’ mother would consider donating her brain to science. Her family chose to do so to advance medical understanding.
An eventual examination of Garray-Serratos’ mother’s brain by Dr. Ann McKee of the Boston CTE Center found that the existing damage was worse than that found in the brains of former NFL players with CTE.
One of the reasons CTE might be so prominent in survivors of domestic violence is that these survivors cannot tell when the next injury will occur. People with TBIs often rest following a concussion and follow concussion protocol to avoid additional damage. However, those facing domestic violence do not have the ability to avoid additional violence.
Brain injuries relating to domestic violence are also under-researched and poorly understood; while 50-80% of individuals facing domestic violence experience 1+ head traumas, domestic violence is also under-reported, meaning that these people don’t receive adequate help and support when needed. As a result, Garay-Serratos urges researchers to continue performing additional research on domestic violence, TBIs, and CTE to build foundational knowledge—and to change the lives of those affected. She raises awareness through Pánfila Domestic Violence HOPE Foundation.
If you are facing domestic violence, please reach out for help. Help is available. Call 800-799-7233 or find resources through the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
What is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)?
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive (worsening) brain disorder that has been linked to episodes of repeated head trauma. This head trauma causes nerves in the brain to die, leading to brain degeneration. Cases of CTE have been seen in football, rugby, collision sports, military service, and other areas with a higher risk of head trauma.
Avoiding repeated head/brain trauma is the best way to prevent CTE from occurring. This condition remains poorly understood and difficult to treat. In part, this is because CTE cannot be diagnosed until after death during a brain autopsy. Future research could allow for the development of diagnostic criteria prior to death—but we are not at this point just yet.
Someone who has chronic traumatic encephalopathy may display symptoms such as erratic behaviors, memory loss, impaired judgment, confusion, depression and/or anxiety, changes in behavior or personality, suicidal ideation, difficulty organizing thoughts, problems with balance and motor skills, movement issues, and progressive dementia.
