Psychiatric treatment outcome following traumatic brain injury

• Published in: Brain injury Vol. 14; no. 6; pp. 513 - 533
• Main Authors: BURG, J. S, WILLIAMS, R, BURRIGHT, R. G, DONOVICK, P. J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Informa UK Ltd 01-06-2000; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Injuries - psychology; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - etiology; Cognition Disorders - therapy; Female; Humans; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - etiology; Mental Disorders - therapy; Neuropsychological Tests; Psychotherapy; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Treatment Outcome; Human; Nervous system diseases; Craniocerebral; Central nervous system disease; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Skull disease; Evolution; Psychopathology; Trauma; Cerebral disorder
• DOI: 10.1080/026990500120439
• EISSN: 1362-301X
• ISSN: 0269-9052

The relationship between self-reported history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychiatric treatment outcome was investigated. TBI was hypothesized to be frequent, associated with cognitive deficits on neuropsychological testing, and less amenable to standard psychiatric treatment. Subjects were 42 psychiatric patients with a self-reported history of TBI and 25 psychiatricpatients with no TBI history. Subjects received approximately 2 weeks of inpatient psychiatric treatment. Subjects received neuropsychological testing and completed the Brief Symptom Inventory weekly. TBI was frequent (66% of subjects); multiple injuries were common. Neuropsychological performance was generally average in both groups with few group differences. Subjects, on average, reported significantly decreased psychiatric symtoms on discharge. However, the TBI group appeared to improve less than the control group; group status was a significant predictor of treatment outcome. Implications of results for assessment and treatment of psychiatric disorders in patients with a history of TBI are discussed.