Karen Mason
Co-founder and Executive Director, Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR)
domestic violence, intimate partner violence, gender-based violence, traumatic brain injury, brain injury, traumatic brain injury and intimate partner violence, challenges faced by women and children fleeing violence, women's shelter, concussion, strangulation
Media
Enquete/Les coups oublies
Les traumatismes crâniens chez les femmes victimes de violence conjugale représentent un problème de santé publique majeur. Un fléau que des experts appellent « l’épidémie silencieuse ». Mais contrairement à ce que l’on voit dans le monde du sport, ces blessures passent trop souvent sous le radar des professionnels de la santé. Dans bien des cas, les victimes elles-mêmes ignorent leur condition. Pourtant, elles risquent des séquelles à court et à long terme en raison des coups répétés qu’elles reçoivent et ce, parfois pendant des années.
YWCA Metro Vancouver - Concussion Story
When people think of concussion, they think sports. But violence by an intimate partner is the cause of at least 290,000 concussions among Canadian women and girls each year. That’s more than 7,000 for every 1 NHL concussion.
The YWCA Metro Vancouver partnered with former Olympian and NHL player, Trevor Linden to help bring attention to this staggering statistic as we call for increased research, better pathways for concussion treatment and more support for people who have experienced brain injury as a result of intimate partner violence. Karen Mason of SOAR was part of the planning committee and provided statistics for this campaign.
Learn more at myconcussionstory.com
UBC Okanagan to receive $1 M to study TBI in IPV
UBC news conference announces $1 M in federal funding for collaborative research program - SOAR (Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research) - with Kelowna Women's Shelter to expand.
Diamond auction helps save lives
Kelowna Women's Shelter to receive proceeds of diamond earrings auction. Executive director Karen Mason shares what a difference these sorts of fundraisers make in the lives of women and children fleeing intimate partner violence.
Community support makes a difference
Kelowna Women's Shelter executive director Karen Mason updates a local company and its staff on how their donation is helping change the lives of women and children fleeing intimate partner violence.
BC government partners with Kelowna Women's Shelter on housing project
BC government announces plan to partner with Kelowna Women's Shelter and fund construction of second stage and permanent affordable rental housing for women and children fleeing violence.
Kelowna Women's Shelter needs more space
Kelowna Women's Shelter executive director Karen Mason shares her thoughts on the sentencing of wife-killer Mohammed Shamji, and explores the need for more bed space for survivors of intimate partner violence.
Ahead of the Game | Dr. Paul van Donkelaar and Karen Mason | TEDxKelowna
A women’s shelter executive director and a neuroscientist team up to explore how expanding concussion research to examine the intersection of traumatic brain injury and intimate partner violence has the potential to change, policy, procedure, and lives.
Head First: A Concussion Podcast, August 5, 2024Radio/Podcast
URL: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/headfirst-a-concussion-podcast/id1691032833?i=1000664439124
Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast, discusses all things concussion. From the physiology, effects, treatment and rehabilitation process. All with the aim of providing the tools and education to help patients. In this episode, host Dr. Reece Granger speaks to SOAR co-founders Karen Mason and Dr. Paul van Donkelaar about the public health crisis of brain injury from intimate partner violence.
Women's Health Research Institute Podcast, October 7, 2021Radio/Podcast
CBC Radio the Current, May 19, 2023Radio/Podcast
A new campaign from the YWCA in Vancouver and featuring NHL legend Trevor Linden, highlights a hidden epidemic: women suffering from concussions after being physically assaulted by their partners. Guest host Mark Kelley talks to a woman who suffered such a concussion, and to Karen Mason about the work her charity SOAR is doing to help.
ALL women deserve safe refuge in shelters
Kelowna Capital News, March 15, 2017Print
URL: https://www.kelownacapnews.com/opinion/letter-all-women-have-rights-free-of-abuse/
Letter to the editor supporting women's shelters providing space for transgender women.
Homeless Issue Divides Our City
Kelowna Daily Courier, December 3, 2019Print
URL: https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-daily-courier/20191203/281681141743162
Letter to the editor decrying civic and community response to growing homelessness issue in Kelowna.
It Ends With Us is about an abusive relationship. So why is the marketing so light-hearted?
CBC, August 16, 2024Online
URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/it-ends-with-us-marketing-campaign-1.7296482
End Violence Against Women
Castanet, April 18, 2024Online
URL: https://www.castanet.net/news/Letters/482792/End-violence-against-women
Opinion piece around femicide and the need to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic.
Research Brain Injury from Intimate Partner Violence in BC: Two new studies will gather info from survivors to improve diagnosis and treatment
The Tree, August 6, 2024Online
URL: https://thetyee.ca/News/2024/08/06/Researching-Brain-Injury-Intimate-Partner-Violence/
UBC researchers receive $3.4 M to address brain injuries in survivors of intimate partner violence
UBC Faculty of Medicine, June 11, 2024Online
End Violence against Women
CastanetOnline
URL: https://www.castanet.net/news/Letters/482792/End-violence-against-women
Letter to the editor marking the tragic coincidence of a local woman being murdered by her former partner during provincial Prevention of Violence Against Women Week.
Groundbreaking UBC Project Studies Brain Injury in Women Abused by Partners
Mirage News, June 29, 2019Online
Brain injury's invisible epidemic: Survivors of domestic violence
Global News, October 20, 2019Online
URL: https://globalnews.ca/news/6044619/brain-injury-domestic-violence-women/
‘We Need To Study Women’: Traumatic Brain Injury in Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
The Fuller Project, May 29, 2021Online
URL: https://fullerproject.org/story/traumatic-brain-injury-in-survivors-of-intimate-partner-violence/
New online training will help frontline workers support survivors of brain injury
Mirage News, September 30, 2020Online
Karen Mason and SOAR partnered with UBC Okanagan and the BC Injury Research Prevention Unit to develop online training on brain injury and intimate partner violence for frontline workers. The Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Women's Support Workers course is free and available in French and English.
New resource helps medical professionals recognize and respond to brain injury from intimate partner violence
Castanet, July 18, 2023Online
Karen Mason and SOAR were part of a collaborative team that developed the first ever guidelines for medical response to brain injury from intimate partner violence.
The Hidden Epidemic of Brain Injuries from Domestic Violence
The New York Times Magazine, March 1, 2022Online
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/magazine/brain-trauma-domestic-violence.html
Blows to the head, thrown from moving cars, stranded - it's depressingly common
Neuro Rehab Times, November 14, 2019Online
URL: https://nrtimes.co.uk/when-science-and-social-impact-get-together/
How can you support someone who is in an abusive relationship
Ideas.Ted.Com, May 12, 2022Online
URL: https://ideas.ted.com/how-you-can-support-friend-family-member-in-an-abusive-relationship/
Karen Mason shares tips and thoughts on how to support and interact with a friend, family member or colleague who you suspect, or who has disclosed, they are experiencing violence at the hands of a partner.
The Pandemic is Taking Women’s Breath Away: Intimate Partner Violence and Strangulation on the Rise During COVID-19
Women's Health Research Cluster Blog, November 25, 2020Online
Violence Against Women Escalates as We Flatten the Curve for the COVID-19 Pandemic
Women's Health Research Institute Blog, July 22, 2020Online
Women getting head injuries from partners at a higher rate than hockey players getting concussions, UBC researcher says
Using Behavior Change Theory to Understand How to Support Screening for Traumatic Brain Injuries Among Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence
by Blake Nicol, Paul van Donkelaar, Karen Mason, Heather Gainforth
Published by Women's Health Report
August 16, 2021
Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) are at a high risk for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Women's shelters may be an ideal location for TBI screening. Behavior change theory can help understand factors that influence screening at women's shelters and develop interventions to promote screening. Objective: To use behavior change theory to understand the local context of women's shelters, factors influencing screening for TBIs among staff who work at women's shelters, and co-develop intervention recommendations to promote screening of TBIs at women's shelters. Methods: The research was conducted in three phases in partnership with the Kelowna Women's Shelter. In phase 1, participants (staff at women's shelters across Canada) completed an online survey that assessed their current TBI screening behaviors, knowledge of TBIs, and factors influencing screening. In phase 2, participants (staff at women's shelters in the Okanagan) completed an interview regarding the factors that influence screening for TBIs. In both phases, factors were analyzed using the Theoretical Domains Framework. In phase 3, intervention recommendations were co-developed using the Behavior Change Wheel. Results: In phase 1, findings indicate that participants (n = 150) lack skills (mean = 2.1, standard deviation [SD] = 1.9) and knowledge (mean = 2.9, SD = 2.2) with regard to screening and are nervous to screen (mean = 3.0, SD = 2.4) for TBIs. In phase 2, 194 barriers to screening for TBI were extracted from 10 interviews with staff members. Prominent domains included knowledge (37%), beliefs about capabilities (16%), and environmental context and resources (15%). Finally, in phase 3, five intervention recommendations were co-developed for interventions aiming to promote TBI screening in women's shelters. Conclusions: This thesis was the first theory-based study to develop intervention recommendations for promoting screening of TBIs at women's shelters. The recommendations have the potential to increase TBI screening at women's shelters ultimately improving the quality of life of women who have experienced a TBI from IPV
Characterizing Possible Acute Brain Injury in Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence: A Retrospective Chart Review
by Shambhu Prasad Adhikari , Naomi Maldonado-Rodriguez , Sara Catherine Smiley , Christopher Douglas Lewis , Mackenzie Dawn Horst , Chi Wang Jeffrey Lai , Natalie L Matthews , Karen Mason , Hannah Varto , Paul van Donkelaar
Published by Violence Against Women
February 28, 2023
Survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) often experience violent blows to the head, face, and neck and/or strangulation that result in brain injury (BI). Researchers reviewed the de-identified forensic nursing examination records of 205 women. More than 88% of women were subjected to multiple mechanisms of injury with in excess of 60% experiencing strangulation. About 31% disclosed various symptoms consistent with BI. Women experiencing strangulation were 2.24 times more likely to report BI-related symptoms compared to those who reported no strangulation. In conclusion, women experiencing IPV are prone to BI suggesting early screening and appropriate management are warranted.
The Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Women’s Support Workers Improves Knowledge of Intimate Partner Violence-Caused Brain Injury
by Nicol B, Adhikari S, Shwed A, Ashton S, Mriduraj A, Mason K, Gainforth H, Babul S, van Donkelaar P
Published by INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing
April 25, 2023
Women who experience physical intimate partner violence (IPV) are at high risk of suffering a brain injury (BI) due to head impacts and/or strangulation. Currently, most staff at women’s shelters tend not to be aware of IPV-caused BIs. The objective of this study was to address this by developing a new online module within the Concussion Awareness Training Tool (cattonline.com) specifically focused on IPV-caused BI, and measuring its effectiveness in increasing BI awareness and knowledge among staff members at women’s shelters. A mixed-methods approach was used which included (i) a survey to measure participant knowledge before and after completing the module; (ii) a 1-on-1 interview 6 months post-training to better understand participants’ perceptions of what effect the training had on how they worked with women in their job; and (iii) an evaluation of the content of the module using behavior change techniques. About 81 participants recruited from staff at women’s shelters completed the pre/post survey. The average BI knowledge score increased significantly from the pre-survey (M = 8.12/12, SD = 1.05) to the post-survey (M = 9.72/12, SD = 1.62), t(80) = 9.12, P < .001, d = 1.01). Analysis of the interviews with 9 participants highlighted 3 main themes arising from the module: knowledge, mindfulness, and advocacy. All participants felt their knowledge of IPV-caused BIs had increased and said they would recommend the training to their co-workers. Analysis of the module content revealed the most frequent behavior change techniques were related to instructions on how to perform screening and accommodation for IPV-caused BI. The results showed the module was effective in increasing knowledge of IPV-caused BIs amongst women’s shelter staff as well as improving how they advocate for, and are mindful of, their clients with BIs. This online training may help improve the care women with IPV-caused BIs receive, and ultimately improve their quality of life.
URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00469580231169335
The Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Women’s Support Workers Improves Knowledge of Intimate Partner Violence-Caused Brain Injury
by Nicol B, Adhikari S, Shwed A, Ashton S, Mriduraj A, Mason K, Gainforth H, Babul S, van Donkelaar P
Published by INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing
April 25, 2023
Women who experience physical intimate partner violence (IPV) are at high risk of suffering a brain injury (BI) due to head impacts and/or strangulation. Currently, most staff at women’s shelters tend not to be aware of IPV-caused BIs. The objective of this study was to address this by developing a new online module within the Concussion Awareness Training Tool (cattonline.com) specifically focused on IPV-caused BI, and measuring its effectiveness in increasing BI awareness and knowledge among staff members at women’s shelters. A mixed-methods approach was used which included (i) a survey to measure participant knowledge before and after completing the module; (ii) a 1-on-1 interview 6 months post-training to better understand participants’ perceptions of what effect the training had on how they worked with women in their job; and (iii) an evaluation of the content of the module using behavior change techniques. About 81 participants recruited from staff at women’s shelters completed the pre/post survey. The average BI knowledge score increased significantly from the pre-survey (M = 8.12/12, SD = 1.05) to the post-survey (M = 9.72/12, SD = 1.62), t(80) = 9.12, P < .001, d = 1.01). Analysis of the interviews with 9 participants highlighted 3 main themes arising from the module: knowledge, mindfulness, and advocacy. All participants felt their knowledge of IPV-caused BIs had increased and said they would recommend the training to their co-workers. Analysis of the module content revealed the most frequent behavior change techniques were related to instructions on how to perform screening and accommodation for IPV-caused BI. The results showed the module was effective in increasing knowledge of IPV-caused BIs amongst women’s shelter staff as well as improving how they advocate for, and are mindful of, their clients with BIs. This online training may help improve the care women with IPV-caused BIs receive, and ultimately improve their quality of life.
URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00469580231169335
Assessing measures of resilience and posttraumatic growth for use among survivors of intimate partner violence-related brain injury: A scoping review.
by Dow-Fleisner, S., Harris-Gendron, S., van Donkelaar, P., & Mason, K.
Published by American Psychology Association - Psycnet
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent and significant trauma impacting many women in Canada and the United States. When IPV involves physical violence, there is a significant risk of IPV-related brain injury (IPV-related BI), due to head impacts and/or strangulation. IPV-related BI is associated with a range of negative health and social consequences, yet there is also a profound ability for those who survive it to experience resilience or growth. Extant literature on IPV-related BI survivors and resilience is limited, but growing, with a notable lack of research examining the measurement of this construct. This Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-guided scoping review identified and discussed the instruments used to measure resilience and posttraumatic growth (PTG), among survivors of IPV-related BI. Overall, there were no studies that discussed resilience or PTG among survivors of IPV-related BI. We then conducted a systematic search for IPV and BI separately, resulting in 31 articles including 24 measuring resilience or PTG among IPV survivors and seven measuring resilience or PTG among BI survivors. Only three studies explicitly examined the reliability of the measure. Differences in how resilience or PTG was used in the analysis, measurement statistics, and administration considerations were examined. Findings suggest a measure of positive adaption be developed and tested for those with complex trauma experiences, and in particular for survivors of IPV-related BI. Properly assessing resilient functioning and PTG is essential for future research and for developing meaningful clinical interventions.
Quality of life instruments for survivors of brain injury from intimate partner violence: a scoping review
by Sarah Harris-Gendron, Sarah Dow-Fleisner, Paul van Donkelaar, Karen Mason
Published by Journal of Public Health and Emergency
December 25, 2023
Thie review highlighted an overall lack of validation of QOL instruments in this population and identifies two measures that have been used in studies with participants who survived physical IPV. Future research should examine the validity and reliability of QOL instruments among survivors of IPV-related brain injury to promote a strengths-based research and practice agend
Intimate Partner Violence-Related Brain Injury: Unmasking and Addressing the Gaps
by Esopenko C, Jain D, Adhikari SP, Dams-O'Connor K, Ellis M, Haag HL, Hovenden ES, Keleher F, Koerte IK, Lindsey HM, Marshall AD, Mason K, McNally JS, Menefee DS, Merkley TL, Read EN, Rojcyk P, Shultz SR, Sun M, Toccalino D, Valera EM, van Donkelaar P, Wellington C, Wilde EA.
Published by Journal of Neurotrauma
April 5, 2024
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant, global public health concern. Women, individuals with historically underrepresented identities, and disabilities are at high risk for IPV and tend to experience severe injuries. There has been growing concern about the risk of exposure to IPV-related head trauma, resulting in IPV-related brain injury (IPV-BI), and its health consequences. Past work suggests that a significant proportion of women exposed to IPV experience IPV-BI, likely representing a distinct phenotype compared with BI of other etiologies. An IPV-BI often co-occurs with psychological trauma and mental health complaints, leading to unique issues related to identifying, prognosticating, and managing IPV-BI outcomes. The goal of this review is to identify important gaps in research and clinical practice in IPV-BI and suggest potential solutions to address them. We summarize IPV research in five key priority areas: (1) unique considerations for IPV-BI study design; (2) understanding non-fatal strangulation as a form of BI; (3) identifying objective biomarkers of IPV-BI; (4) consideration of the chronicity, cumulative and late effects of IPV-BI; and (5) BI as a risk factor for IPV engagement. Our review concludes with a call to action to help investigators develop ecologically valid research studies addressing the identified clinical-research knowledge gaps and strategies to improve care in individuals exposed to IPV-BI. By reducing the current gaps and answering these calls to action, we will approach IPV-BI in a trauma-informed manner, ultimately improving outcomes and quality of life for those impacted by IPV-BI
Biography
Karen Mason is the co-founder and executive director of Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR), and former executive director of Kelowna Women's Shelter in British Columbia, Canada. SOAR is a registered charity, and the only organization in the country with a singular focus on brain injury (BI) from intimate partner violence (IPV). SOAR collaborates with academic researchers, health care providers, community agencies, and survivors of IPV to EXPLORE the intersection of BI and IPV, EDUCATE frontline workers and members of the public, and EMPOWER survivors to get the supports and services they need to live healthy lives free of abuse. A seasoned non-profit leader, communicator, and community collaborator, Mason brings 35+ years of career experience in the private, public, and non-profit sectors to her work advocating for survivors of IPV, conducting knowledge translation and mobilization activities, and supporting research, development, and dissemination of promising practices. Mason has training in trauma-informed practice and advanced strangulation prevention, and is a member of the Pink Concussions Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury Task Force, the ENIGMA International Consortium Working Group on Brain Injury in Intimate Partner Violence, the Women’s Health Research Cluster, and the Canadian Concussion Network’s Advisory Council. Mason spent the first decade of her career mainly as a broadcast journalist with CBC TV and radio in Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver, and Kelowna. She shifted into communications, helping causes and organizations she believed in as a strategic marketing and communications advisor for more than 12 years, before transitioning into Kelowna Women's Shelter where she served in leadership for more than five years with support from an incredible team of close to 30 anti-violence professionals. Mason has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.