Co-Morbidity of Substance Abuse and Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

While there has been considerable research on the patterns of pre- and post-substance use among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI), little is known about the incidence of co-morbidity between TBI and substance abuse (SA) in individuals whose primary disorder is SA. In the current study, the prevalence of co-occurring TBI in individuals seeking treatment for SA was examined. A total of 845 individuals seeking treatment for SA in New York State were screened via the Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire for the presence of a co-morbid TBI. Results indicate that more than 50% of the sample had results that were positive for a TBI. On average, individuals reported a mean of 6 ± 8 blows to the head, with the number ranging from 0 to 57 and the average age of the first TBI being 14.5 years. Results indicate a high level of co-morbidity between TBI and SA and the need for routine screening for TBI in this population.

KEYWORDS:

• Co-morbidity
• substance abuse
• traumatic brain injury
• screening
• treatment

This study was supported in part by grant # H133B980013 from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education.