Publications by authors named "Katherine M Iverson"

Article Synopsis
  • Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) has primarily targeted physical and mental health outcomes, largely focusing on women and less frequently on its effects on men or overall psychosocial well-being.
  • A study involving 1,133 veterans found that while men and women had similar odds of experiencing IPV in the past year, women were more likely to experience it in prior years, indicating differing patterns of IPV exposure.
  • Results showed that women experiencing more frequent IPV had significantly lower psychosocial well-being in areas like finances, health, and relationships, while similar effects were not found for men, highlighting a need for more targeted support for women and further research into men's experiences with IPV.
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Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a common consequence of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV-related TBI contributes to adverse health outcomes among women, but it is unknown whether a history of IPV-related TBI negatively impacts safety outcomes following healthcare-based interventions for IPV. Using data from a larger randomized clinical trial, we explored the impact of IPV-related TBI status on safety-related outcomes in two healthcare-based IPV interventions.

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Article Synopsis
  • Most IPV research only looks at either the perpetrators or the victims, but this study highlights that many cases involve both, known as bidirectional IPV.
  • A study of over 1,150 post-9/11 Veterans found three distinct IPV patterns: Low to no IPV, Bidirectional Psychological IPV, and Bidirectional Multiform IPV, with no significant gender differences in reported rates.
  • Factors like race, employment status, child care, and history of violence were linked to the different IPV patterns, indicating the need for better comprehensive screening and treatment strategies for Veterans dealing with IPV.
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Women veterans (WVs) are more likely than men veterans to experience traumatic brain injury (TBI) from causes unrelated to deployment. Yet, current Veterans Health Administration (VHA) TBI screening focuses on deployment. This study examines the utility of the VHA TBI screening tool for WVs.

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Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem with far-reaching consequences. The health care system plays an integral role in the detection of and response to IPV. Historically, the majority of IPV screening initiatives have targeted women of reproductive age, with little known about men's IPV screening experiences or the impact of screening on men's health care.

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Article Synopsis
  • The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) used implementation facilitation (IF) to increase intimate partner violence (IPV) screening in primary care, examining its effectiveness a year later.
  • A mixed-methods evaluation revealed that seven out of nine sites maintained or improved their screening rates, with successful sites showing strong medical leadership, ongoing clinician training, and clear referral processes.
  • Barriers such as staff shortages and lack of support from leadership hindered sustainment in some sites, highlighting the need for tailored strategies to overcome these challenges in health care settings.
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Little research focuses on physical health outcomes of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among post-9/11 women veterans (WVs). This study examined lifetime TBI, current PTSD, and their associations with biomarkers of cardiometabolic health, sleep, pain, and functional disability among post-9/11 WVs. WVs ( = 90) from the Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders longitudinal cohort study were included in this study.

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Predominantly cross-sectional research suggests that self-efficacy may play an important role in women's psychological health after experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). However, few studies have examined these associations over time or with respect to broader aspects of psychological well-being. Valued living, which reflects behavioral engagement within personally important life domains, represents a key aspect of well-being that may be negatively impacted by experiences of IPV.

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Women who serve in the military are at high risk for experiencing military sexual trauma (MST) and intimate partner violence (IPV), both of which are associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To improve understanding of the psychological effects of experiencing multiple forms of interpersonal violence, it is important to identify the ways in which recent IPV experiences differentially increase the risk of specific PTSD symptom clusters for women with a history of MST. We aimed to identify if past-year IPV experiences mediate the relation between MST experiences and PTSD symptom clusters (i.

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Objective: Women represent 15% of veteran callers to the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL); there has been little research identifying the experiences and needs of women veterans who use the VCL. The objective of this study was to identify women veterans' experiences with and recommendations for strengthening VCL services for women.

Method: We conducted qualitative interviews with 26 women veterans across the United States who had contacted the VCL in the preceding year.

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Objective: Head injury and strangulation are highly prevalent in intimate partner violence (IPV) contexts, but there is little research examining the potential implications of these injuries on physical health and functional status. This pilot study explored the extent to which injury type (head injury, strangulation) and severity (no injury, subconcussive head injury, traumatic brain injury; no strangulation, strangulation, strangulation with loss of consciousness) were associated with biomarkers of cardiometabolic health and self-reported functioning among female survivors of IPV.

Methods: Participants were 51 individuals assigned female at birth who experienced IPV during their lifetime and screened positive for probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (average age = 32.

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Background: Sexual violence (SV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences are major social determinants of adverse health. There is limited prevalence data on these experiences for veterans, particularly across sociodemographic groups.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of SV before, during, and after military service and lifetime and past-year IPV for women and men, and explore differences across sociodemographic groups.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Using a Matrixed Multiple Case Study approach, researchers analyzed qualitative and quantitative data to identify multilevel factors affecting the program’s implementation, guided by the i-PARIHS framework.
  • * A total of fifteen factors were identified, categorized into three groups: enabling factors present at all sites, critical elements for implementation success, and additional influences impacting screening rates.
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Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prominent public health problem in the United States, with significant health impacts that are often severe and persistent. Healthcare systems have been called upon to improve both the systematic identification and treatment of IPV largely by adopting secondary and tertiary prevention efforts. Research to date demonstrates both benefits and challenges with the current strategies employed.

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Introduction: The Veterans Health Administration initiated implementation facilitation to integrate intimate partner screening programs in primary care. This study investigates implementation facilitation's impact on implementation and clinical effectiveness outcomes.

Study Design: A cluster randomized, stepped-wedge, hybrid-II implementation-effectiveness trial (January 2021-April 2022) was conducted amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Primary Objective: Despite a high prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its lasting impacts on individuals, particularly women, very little is known about how IPV may impact the brain. IPV is known to frequently result in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this overview of literature, we examined literature related to neuroimaging in women with IPV experiences between the years 2010-2021.

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Thousands of women Veterans experience intimate partner violence (IPV) each year. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has encouraged IPV screening in Veterans Affairs medical centers (VAMCs) since 2014. Through retrospective analysis of VHA administrative data from fiscal year (FY) 2014 into FY2020, we examined IPV screening implementation outcomes of reach and adoption, as well as screen-positive rates using descriptive and multivariate linear regression analyses.

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Psychological distress may impact women's risk for future intimate partner violence (IPV). Yet, limited research has utilized longitudinal research designs and there is a scarcity of research looking at the three most commonly implicated mental health factors-posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and alcohol use-within the same study. Research is especially scarce for women veterans, who experience substantial risk for these mental health concerns and experiencing IPV.

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Background: Prior research has examined how the post-military health and well-being of both the larger veteran population and earlier veteran cohorts differs from non-veterans. However, no study has yet to provide a holistic examination of how the health, vocational, financial, and social well-being of the newest generation of post-9/11 U.S.

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Background: Little is known about women veterans' intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic or the impacts of pandemic-related stress on their mental and physical health.

Objectives: To identify IPV experiences among women veterans prior to and during the pandemic, pandemic-related stressors, and examine their respective contributions to mental and physical health.

Design: National sample of women veterans drawn from a larger web-based longitudinal study.

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Social support is bidirectionally linked to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Evidence suggests that family involvement in veterans' mental health treatment is desired by both veterans and family members, and that such involvement has the potential to improve treatment outcomes. However, rates of family involvement are low in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

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Intimate partner violence (IPV) may be a major concern in military and veteran populations, and the aims of this systematic review were to (1) provide best available estimates of overall prevalence based on studies that are most representative of relevant populations, and (2) contextualise these via examination of IPV types, impacts, and context. An electronic search of PsycINFO, CINHAL, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library databases identified studies utilising population-based designs or population screening strategies to estimate prevalence of IPV perpetration or victimisation reported by active duty (AD) military personnel or veterans. Random effects meta-analyses were used for quantitative analyses and were supplemented by narrative syntheses of heterogeneous data.

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