Quantity or Quality: Participation and General Health Outcomes in TBI Patients
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Date
2017-03-29
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a chronic health condition with severe physical, social, and cognitive implications. Individuals who have sustained a TBI likely experience deficits in frontal brain executive functioning, which is needed for successful living within the community. This decreased ability to participate and restrictions in life involvement potentially increase one’s risk for various health-related problems. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine the extent to which the amount or the balance across the domains of participation predicts health outcomes in TBI patients. In the context of the current study, balance is defined as having sufficient equilibrium between the three domains of participation. Data was originally collected through the Ohio Regional TBI Model Systems longitudinal study through participant interviews. It had not been analyzed in this context. METHODS: Participation at one year post-injury was measured over three domains: productivity, social relations, and being out and about in the community, using the Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools – Objective (PART-O). The standard deviation of the three domains was used to determine balance across these areas. The average item score was used to determine overall amount of participation. Health outcomes at two years post-injury were measured using questions regarding current ratings of health and physical health relative to the past year, as well as a questionnaire that assessed depression symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9). Multiple and logistic regression were applied to control for covariates that have previously been associated with health outcomes. RESULTS: This study found that greater participation at one year post-TBI is associated with lower likelihood of symptoms of major depressive disorder (p = 0.027) and better subjective ratings of current health (p = .001) reported at two years post-TBI. Balanced participation was not associated with health outcomes. CONCLUSION: Early intervention with participation in TBI patients may improve depressive symptoms and subjective feelings of health. Further understanding of these relationships will allow for improved treatment and rehabilitation in patients following a brain injury.
Description
Psychology (The Ohio State University Denman Undergraduate Research Forum)
Keywords
Traumatic Brain Injury, Participation, Work-life balance, Depression, Health outcomes, Community