The prevalence, characteristics, and psychiatric correlates of traumatic brain injury in incarcerated individuals: an examination in two independent samples

ABSTRACT

Primary Objective

Identify the prevalence, characteristics, and psychological correlates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among incarcerated individuals.

Research Design

Three aims: (1) Determine the prevalence and characteristics of TBI in 1469 adults incarcerated in Wisconsin state prisons (1064 men, 405 women); (2) Characterize the relationship between mild TBI and mental illness in a sub-sample of men and women; (3) Reproduce the findings from Aim 1 and Aim 2 in an independent sample of 1015 adults incarcerated in New Mexico state prisons (600 men, 415 women).

Methods and Procedures

Standardized TBI assessment with structured clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires.

Main Outcomes and Results

Rates of TBI were approximately five times greater than the general population, with a substantially higher rate of TBI caused by assault. In the Wisconsin sample, mild TBI was associated with greater levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among women (but not among men). In the New Mexico sample, TBI of any severity was associated with greater levels of major depressive disorder (MDD) among women (but not among men).

Conclusions

This study thus provides novel data on TBI and its correlates among individuals incarcerated in state prisons, and highlights a specific treatment need within the prison population.

KEYWORDS:

• Traumatic brain injury
• TBI
• forensic
• head injury
• prison

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the participants and correctional staff of the New Mexico and Wisconsin Departments of Corrections. This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health R01MH109329 R01DA026964, R01DA026505, R01MH071896, R01DA020870, R01MH070539 (PI Kiehl).

Disclosure statement

The authors do not have any financial or other conflicts of interest to report.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, BS, upon reasonable request.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health [R01MH070539, R01MH071896, R01MH109329]; National Institute on Drug Abuse [R01DA020870,R01DA026505,R01DA026964].