Citation

Ponsford J, Whelan-Goodinson R, Bahar-Fuchs A. Brain Inj. 2007; 21(13): 1385-1392.

Affiliation

Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth Hospital, Richmond, VA, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/02699050701796960

PMID

18066940

Abstract

Primary objectives: To establish pre-morbid alcohol and drug use in persons with TBI, relative to controls, investigate how patterns of substance use change over time following TBI and identify factors associated with heavy post-injury substance use. Methods and procedures: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification test (AUDIT) and Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) was completed by 121 hospital inpatients with TBI, documenting pre-injury alcohol and drug use, and 133 demographically similar controls. Participants with TBI completed these measures and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) again 1 and 2 years post-injury and 76 also completed them at 3 years. Results: Participants with TBI showed similar levels of drug and alcohol use to controls pre-injury, with 31.4% of the TBI group and 29.3% of controls drinking at hazardous levels. Alcohol and drug use declined in the first year post-injury, but increased by 2 years post-injury, with only 21.4% of participants with TBI reporting abstinence from alcohol and 25.4% drinking at hazardous levels. Only 9% showed a drug problem, but 24% had returned to some drug use. Those showing heavy alcohol use post-injury were young, male and heavy drinkers pre-injury. Drug and alcohol use was similar at 3 years post-injury. Conclusions: More active intervention is needed to reduce alcohol and drug use following TBI.

Language: en