Citation

Bombardier CH, Rimmele CT, Zintel H. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 2002; 83(12): 1765-1773.

Affiliation

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98104, USA. chb@u.washington.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1053/apmr.2002.36085

PMID

12474184

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe preinjury alcohol and drug use and opportunities for secondary prevention among persons with recent traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: Survey. SETTING: Acute inpatient rehabilitation program. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 142 (91%) of 156 consecutive admissions who met inclusion criteria and were screened. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Alcohol and drug use questionnaires, alcohol problem questions, toxicology results, readiness to change, and treatment preference questions. RESULTS: Subjects were on average 37 years old, 80% were men, and 80% were white. Fifty-nine percent of the sample was considered "at-risk" drinkers and, as a group, subjects reported a high degree of preinjury alcohol-related problems. Thirty-four percent reported recent illicit drug use, and 42 (37%) of 114 cases with toxicology results were positive for illicit drugs. Motivation to change alcohol use correlated positively with greater self-reported alcohol consumption and problem severity. Most at-risk drinkers wanted to change on their own, whereas a minority were interested in treatment or Alcoholics Anonymous. CONCLUSION: Both alcohol abuse and drug use are common before TBI. Inpatient brain injury rehabilitation represents an important opportunity to identify and intervene in substance abuse problems.

Language: en