Executive Function Correlates of Women Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Sara Ferreira-Nascimento, Miguel Rodrigues Barbosa, Magda Sofia Roberto et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis compared executive function in women who had experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) with non-victims. It included 22 studies published between 2002 and 2023, comprising 1,425 women across the groups, and pooled results using a random-effects model. IPV victims performed less well in cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and semantic verbal fluency, with moderate to large effects; the pooled effect for working memory was not significant. Qualitative findings also indicated poorer performance in several other executive-function domains. The review discusses brain injury, psychopathology, and adverse childhood experiences as possible contributors, whose individual roles remain uncertain.
Key findings
- Meta-analysis found moderate to large effects for cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and semantic verbal fluency, with lower performance among IPV victims.
- The pooled working-memory effect was non-significant, although qualitative synthesis described poorer working memory.
- Qualitative synthesis also reported poorer phonological and nonverbal fluency, planning, reasoning, and decision-making.
Why it matters
Executive-function differences may affect daily functioning and are relevant to understanding the cognitive needs of women who have experienced IPV. The review brings together evidence across multiple domains and identifies possible contributing factors, while emphasizing that their individual roles need further study. This may help frame future assessment and research without establishing a single cause for the observed differences.
What to keep in mind
The review reports that the individual contributions of brain injury, psychopathology, and adverse childhood experiences require exploration in future studies.