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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: To identify preinjury variables related to mental health treatment utilization at 2 years post-traumatic brain injury (TBI).
SETTING: Veterans Affairs (VA) TBI Model Systems includes 5 VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers.
PARTICIPANTS: Veterans and service members enrolled in TBI Model Systems who completed the year 2 follow-up assessment and provided mental health information. Sample was largely male (97%) and White (72%), with median age of 30 years.
DESIGN: Participants with elevated mental health symptoms were identified by measures of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic distress; suicide attempt in the past year; or problematic substance use in the past year. Forty-seven percent of participants had elevated mental health symptoms at 2 years postinjury. Among those with elevated symptoms, comparisons were made between those who sought mental health treatment in past year and those who did not.
MAIN MEASURES: Demographic, historic, environmental, psychological/mental health, and injury/rehabilitation variables.
RESULTS: Within the sample, 23% denied utilizing mental health services. Nonutilizers were more likely to deny a preinjury mental health treatment history, to report problematic substance use at year 2, and to report lower levels of internalizing symptoms than the treatment utilizers.
CONCLUSION: Veterans and service members with elevated mental health symptoms may require tailored tactics to promote treatment utilization post-TBI.
Language: en |
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Keywords
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Humans; United States; Adult; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Trauma; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult; Time Factors; Cohort Studies; Treatment Outcome; Mental Health; Glasgow Coma Scale; Databases, Factual; Follow-Up Studies; Veterans; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Psychotherapy; Military Personnel; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Brain Injuries, Traumatic; Rehabilitation Centers |