Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 87, Issue 7 , Pages 953-961, July 2006

Self-Reported Psychosocial Health Among Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Melissa L. McCarthy, ScD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Melissa L. McCarthy, ScD, Dept of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5801 Smith Ave, Davis Bldg, Ste 3220, Baltimore, MD, 21209
    • ,
  • Sureyya S. Dikmen, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
    • ,
  • Jean A. Langlois, ScD

      Affiliations

    • National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
    • ,
  • Anbesaw W. Selassie, DrPH

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biometry and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
    • ,
  • Ja K. Gu, MSPH

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biometry and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
    • ,
  • Michael D. Horner, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
    • Mental Health Service, Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC.

Abstract 

McCarthy ML, Dikmen SS, Langlois JA, Selassie AW, Gu JK, Horner MD. Self-reported psychosocial health among adults with traumatic brain injury.

Objective

To measure the subjective psychosocial health of a population-based sample of adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Design

Retrospective, cohort study involving a 1-year postinjury interview.

Setting

Sixty-two acute care, nonfederal hospitals in South Carolina.

Participants

Persons (≥15y) hospitalized with TBI.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measure

The psychosocial health scales of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey.

Results

Of the 7612 participants, 29% reported poor psychosocial health. Factors associated with poor psychosocial well-being included younger age, female sex, Medicaid coverage, no health insurance, inadequate or moderate social support, comorbidities (eg, a preinjury substance abuse problem), cognitive complaints, and some or a lot of limitation with activities of daily living. Only 36% of participants who reported poor psychosocial health reported receiving any mental health services.

Conclusions

A substantial proportion of persons hospitalized with TBI reported poor psychosocial health at 1 year postinjury. To optimize recovery, clinicians need to ensure that patients’ psychosocial health needs are addressed during the postacute period.

Key Words:  Brain injuries , Rehabilitation

 

 Supported by the Division of Injury and Disability Outcomes and Programs, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cooperative agreement no. U17/CCU421926).No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.

PII: S0003-9993(06)00285-1

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2006.03.007

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 87, Issue 7 , Pages 953-961, July 2006

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