TY - JOUR
T1 - Executive Function Correlates of Women Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
T2 - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
AU - Ferreira-Nascimento, Sara
AU - Rodrigues Barbosa, Miguel
AU - Sofia Roberto, Magda
AU - Fernandes, Sandra
AU - Pires, Rute
AU - Querido, Luís
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Intimate partner violence (IPV) significantly affects victims’ physical and mental health. Neurocognitive impairments, particularly in executive functioning, are crucial for daily functionality. However, no reviews or meta-analyses have focused on executive function (EF) alterations or the associated mechanisms contributing to a better understanding. This study aimed to synthesize and analyze differences in EF performance between women victims of IPV and non-victims, while also exploring potential mechanisms underlying these specific impairments. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Searches were performed in the PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases. A random-effects model was employed to calculate pooled effect sizes. A total of 22 studies published between 2002 and 2023 met the inclusion criteria and were included, comprising 1,425 women victims of IPV and non-victims. The meta-analysis revealed moderate to large effects on cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and semantic verbal fluency domains, with IPV victims showing lower performance. Working memory’s effect was non-significant. The qualitative synthesis demonstrated poorer phonological verbal fluency, nonverbal fluency, planning, reasoning, decision-making, and working memory. This synthesis also outlined differences observed among women experiencing physical, sexual, and/or psychological abuse, regardless of posttraumatic stress disorder or brain injury (BI). This systematic review and meta-analysis identified specific EF alterations in IPV victims, which may result from BI, psychopathology, or adverse childhood experiences, with their individual contributions requiring exploration in future studies. These findings can inform personalized interventions and decision-making within a legal context.
AB - Intimate partner violence (IPV) significantly affects victims’ physical and mental health. Neurocognitive impairments, particularly in executive functioning, are crucial for daily functionality. However, no reviews or meta-analyses have focused on executive function (EF) alterations or the associated mechanisms contributing to a better understanding. This study aimed to synthesize and analyze differences in EF performance between women victims of IPV and non-victims, while also exploring potential mechanisms underlying these specific impairments. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Searches were performed in the PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases. A random-effects model was employed to calculate pooled effect sizes. A total of 22 studies published between 2002 and 2023 met the inclusion criteria and were included, comprising 1,425 women victims of IPV and non-victims. The meta-analysis revealed moderate to large effects on cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and semantic verbal fluency domains, with IPV victims showing lower performance. Working memory’s effect was non-significant. The qualitative synthesis demonstrated poorer phonological verbal fluency, nonverbal fluency, planning, reasoning, decision-making, and working memory. This synthesis also outlined differences observed among women experiencing physical, sexual, and/or psychological abuse, regardless of posttraumatic stress disorder or brain injury (BI). This systematic review and meta-analysis identified specific EF alterations in IPV victims, which may result from BI, psychopathology, or adverse childhood experiences, with their individual contributions requiring exploration in future studies. These findings can inform personalized interventions and decision-making within a legal context.
KW - cognitive functions
KW - domestic violence
KW - executive dysfunction
KW - gender-based violence
KW - neurocognitive deficits
KW - neuropsychological assessment
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105021413885
U2 - 10.1177/15248380251381820
DO - 10.1177/15248380251381820
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:105021413885
SN - 1524-8380
JO - Trauma, Violence, and Abuse
JF - Trauma, Violence, and Abuse
ER -