Substance Abuse and Head Injury

Who is at risk?

Traumatic brain injuries do not occur randomly! There are certain behaviors and health factors that place an individual at high risk for sustaining one or more TBIs during their life span.

Image taken from K. Hux 2003 Traumatic Brain Injury class lecture notes

On average, the risk of sustaining a TBI at some point during the life span is 20% for men and 8% for women. This risk rate increases by 3 times after one TBI has occurred and by 8 times after a second TBI (Annegers et al., 1980).

Other characteristics that may put a person at a higher risk for head injury related to substance abuse include:

individuals with a tendency toward risk-taking, thrill-seeking behavior
individuals who exhibit chronic-neurotic symptoms
persons with a history of petty crime
those with a background of violent behavior
individuals who have frequent run-ins with police
those who exhibit poor performance in school
children of divorced parents
those diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder
individuals who are typically irritable, defiant, or physically reckless
those who are inconsiderate of consequences to others
individuals diagnosed "socially maladjusted" before the injury

***For additional information on the risk factors related to substance abuse and head injury, visit the following sites:

AADAC - Substance Abuse and Injury
Ohio Valley Center for Brain Injury Prevention


University of Nebraska-Lincoln	TBI Homepage