Working memory, episodic memory and sustained attention in women survivors of intimate partner violence in Spain: The Believe Battery

Abstract

A growing body of literature suggests that intimate partner violence (IPV) is linked topsychopathology and lower cognitive functionality. Nonetheless, few studies have examinedneuropsychological correlates using objective neuropsychological assessments. The mainobjective of this study was to assess the relationship between cognitive functioning (specificallymemory and attention) and IPV. A group of women IPV survivors (n = 37) and a group of womenwho had not experienced IPV (n = 23) were assessed using the Believe Battery, a comprehensiveneuropsychological battery adapted for women survivors of IPV. Findings demonstrated thatwomen who have suffered IPV present lower neuropsychological scores in the domains ofworking memory, verbal episodic memory, and attention compared to women who have notexperienced IPV. These results suggest that IPV may have an impact on neuropsychologicalfunctioning among women victims and survivors, thus raising an important question aboutimplications in clinical and forensic settings. Future studies should examine whether there areadditional differences in other cognitive domains and assess how such differences are relatedto the potential causal mechanisms of violence (e.g., strangulation, head injury, chronic stress).