Mental health disorders are commonly observed in TBI patients. In the first-year post-injury, up to 77% receive a psychiatric diagnosis: anxiety, mood and substance-use disorders are common and often present co-morbidly..
Individuals who have experienced a TBI are more likely to seek mental health services compared to those without a history of TBI.
Funding acknowledgement: This work is supported by the Canada Graduate Scholarships Doctoral Award (CGS D) and Dalhousie Department of Surgery.
Individuals who have experienced a TBI are more likely to seek mental health services compared to those without a history of TBI.
Funding acknowledgement: This work is supported by the Canada Graduate Scholarships Doctoral Award (CGS D) and Dalhousie Department of Surgery.
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Research question
Do individuals with TBI have a higher probability of mental health care utilization than those who are not injured?
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Methodology
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Results
- A greater proportion of TBI patients utilized mental health services compared with non-injured patients (24% vs. 13%, p = 0.005).
- Those who were ≥ 65 years of age used less mental health care services than those who were younger (6% vs. 16%, p < 0.001).
- Females reported almost twice the amount of service use than males (18% vs. 10%, p < 0.001).
- Among those who reported chronic mental health conditions, 56% used mental health services, but only 16% of the cohort who reported heavy drinking sought help from mental health professionals.
- The prevalence of mental health care utilization was 60% higher in patients with TBI than those were not injured (adjusted prevalence rate = 1.60, 95% CI 1.05–2.43), adjusted for age, sex, race, education, income, mental health conditions, and heavy drinking.