Brainkind at RCPsych International 2025

Dr. Annmarie Burns, Brainkind’s Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist, continued her summer conference tour last month.

Following her presentation on the Brain Injury Linkworker Service at One Brain 2025, which received positive feedback in a recent report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons, she shared findings from Too Many to Count, our report on brain injury and domestic abuse, at BABICM 2025.

Dr. Burns rounded off a month of awareness-raising at the 2025 International Congress of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales, where she highlighted Brainkind’s research into brain injury in women.

The four-day Congress featured expert speakers on topics ranging from ethical AI in psychiatry to improving women’s mental health care. Dr. Burns spoke alongside Dr. Catherine White MBE, Clinical Director of St. Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, and Dr. Czarina Kirk, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr. Philippa Greenfield and Dr. Cath Durkin, Joint Presidential Leads for Women and Mental Health at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, respectively convened and chaired the panel discussion, which focused on the hidden impact of domestic and sexual violence – one of the main causes of acquired brain injury (ABI) in women.

Fact finding

As many as one in three women worldwide will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. This largely gender-based crime often goes unreported, with people from minority groups and backgrounds disproportionately affected.

Our research, Too Many to Count, was the first study in the UK to explore the prevalence of brain injury in domestic abuse survivors accessing community-based services.

It found that one in two people who have experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales may be living with a brain injury. To put that in perspective: the prevalence of traumatic brain injury in the general UK population is much lower: around one in eight.

Many survivors of domestic abuse encounter barriers when seeking a brain injury diagnosis. For instance, they might still be in an abusive relationship, be worried that their children could be taken into care, or be concerned that information could be used against them in legal proceedings. Meanwhile, a lack of awareness of the potential seriousness of head injuries presents a further barrier to diagnosis.

Complex lives

A significant number of women in the criminal justice system are likely to be struggling with the consequences of undiagnosed brain injuries – including a wide range of cognitive, behavioural, and emotional difficulties.

Brainkind’s Complex Lives research highlighted how women in the criminal justice system who present with cognitive, emotional, or behavioural difficulties are at high risk of these difficulties being misattributed.

“Without a diagnosis, there’s a high risk that behaviours, such as not following instructions or forgetting appointments, will be misattributed as an unwillingness to engage with rehabilitation”, Dr. Burns said. “The lack of a brain injury diagnosis means that these women are unlikely to be accessing the right support,” she continued.

“Speaking at conferences like RCPsych International 2025 is a huge privilege and part of Brainkind’s commitment to raising awareness about the potential for brain injury in the context of domestic abuse amongst health and social care professionals. We are also working to provide online tools and information for domestic abuse services, and to improve understanding among survivors of domestic abuse, enabling them to advocate for themselves and get access to right support.”

To further explore how we help women with brain injuries, click here.

If you would like to read more about Brainkind’s work tackling brain injury in the criminal justice system, click here.

If you would like Brainkind to share our insights at your conference, please email research@brainkind.org