Survey

A total of 142 (91%) of 156 consecutive admissions who met inclusion criteria were screened.

Persons in an acute impatient rehabilitation program.

To describe pre-injury alcohol and drug use and opportunities for secondary prevention among persons with recent traumatic brain injury.

Screened persons with TBI who were admitted to inpatient rehabilitation program.

Subjects were on average 37 years old, 80% were men, and 80% were white. Fifty-nine percent of the sample were considered "at-risk" drinkers and, as a group, subjects reported a high degree of preinjury alcohol-related problems. Thirty-four percent reparted recent illicit drug use, and 42 (37%) of 114 cases with toxicology results were positive for illicit drugs. Motivation to chagne alcohol use correlated positively with grater self-reported alcohol consumption and problem severity. Most at-risk drinkers wanted to change on their own, whereas a minority were interested in treatment or Alcoholics Anonymous.

Both alcohol use and drug use are common before TBI. Inpatient brain injury rehabilitation represents an important opportunity to identify and intervene in substance abuse problems.