Community integration, social support and life satisfaction in relation to symptoms 3 years after mild traumatic brain injury

Primary objective: To investigate the relation between psychosocial functioning ( community integration, life satisfaction and social support) and symptoms ( post-concussion, post-traumatic stress and depression) in persons with mild traumatic brain injury ( MTBI) 3 years after the trauma. Methods: Population-based follow-up study of 163 patients. At follow-up, an assessment of community integration, social support, life satisfaction and symptoms was made. Results: Total score of Community Integration Questionnaire ( CIQ) was negatively correlated to total score of the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire ( RPQ, r=- 0.270, p < 0.001) and to total score of the Beck Depression Inventory ( BDI, r=- 0.332, p < 0.001). Life satisfaction ( LiSat- 11) was negatively correlated to the RPQ ( r=- 0.459, p < 0.001), to total score of the Impact of Event Scale ( IES, r=- 0.365, p < 0.001) and to the BDI ( r=- 0.642, p < 0.001). Low levels of life satisfaction were common at follow-up. Conclusions: A large proportion of the individuals with MTBI experienced both psychosocial difficulties, with low levels of life satisfaction in particular and symptoms ( post- concussion, post- traumatic stress and depression) 3 years after trauma. Since the possibility of pre-injury factors contributing to the condition at follow-up cannot be ruled out, the study indicates that all these factors should be taken into consideration in the management of persons with MTBI.