A new project in the Okanagan is studying traumatic brain injury in survivors of domestic violence.

The study will be conducted by UBC Okanagan associate vice-principal for research Paul van Donkelaar and his team, along with the 91大黄鸭 Women鈥檚 Shelter, the Elizabeth Fry Society, and the 91大黄鸭 Friendship Society.

The organizations will be recruiting participants for the study.

Van Donkelaar has studied concussions in athletes, but this will be a new venture for UBCO.

鈥淚t鈥檚 accessing, in a most objective way possible, some of the behavioural and psychological changes that may occur (in survivors)鈥�, said van Donkelaar.

The idea of the study is to determine how many cases of brain injury have occurred with survivors of domestic violence and then allowing organizations to study different resources and training to help the survivors recover.

Van Donkelaar will present the project during the Okanagan Symposium on Brain Injury, June 1, at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Centre.

Van Donkelaar will be applying some of the same tactics he used while studying sports鈥� concussions to the study he will be initiating next month.

The project will be one of the first of its kind in North America, said van Donkelaar, and he hopes to have some data collected by June.

The 91大黄鸭 Women鈥檚 Shelter is excited to be a part of the project.

鈥淓arly research, which there is little of, shows concussions are quite high in women who have been in intimate-partner-violence situations,鈥� said executive director Karen Mason.

鈥淲e see women every day who have experienced violence from a partner and the impacts of it. Which makes sense if you think about it. If your partner beats you and knocks you down the stairs or smashes you against the wall, chances are good that you might suffer a head injury,鈥� she said.

Mason also talked about the impacts and challenges women face when recovering from domestic violence.

鈥淭he impacts of a concussion on a person鈥檚 ability to function is adding one more barrier for women who have experienced intimate partner violence,鈥� she said.

Intimate partner violence is still a stigmatized and under-reported topic said Mason, but she isn鈥檛 sure why there haven鈥檛 been more studies on concussions and intimate partner violence.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great that there鈥檚 going to be some attention on it,鈥� she said.

Elizabeth Fry Society executive director Michelle Novakowski agrees.

鈥淚t鈥檚 huge. All of our programs work with survivors 鈥� and we see a lot of women who have had their head slammed into a wall or that have been hit in the face and we also see similar effects to post-traumatic stress,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 think it can help agencies be more supportive and understanding. I think it can make a huge difference for survivors.鈥�