Identifying longitudinal trajectories of emotional distress symptoms 5 years after traumatic brain injury. (November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sigurdardottir, S.; Andelic, N.; Roe, C.; Schanke, A. K.
• Is Part Of: Brain injury. Volume 28:Number 12(2014)
• Page Start: 1542
• Page End: 1550
• Publication Date: 2014-11
• Subjects: Brain damage -- Periodicals; Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Periodicals; Brain Injuries -- Periodicals; 617.481
• DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2014.934285
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-9052

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Primary objective</italic>: To evaluate longitudinal trajectories of emotional distress symptoms after traumatic brain injury (TBI).</p> <p> <italic>Research design</italic>: Longitudinal study.</p> <p> <italic>Methods and procedures</italic>: Patients with mild-to-severe TBI, 118 patients participated at 3 months, 109 attended at 1-year and 89 attended the 5-year follow-up. Emotional distress was measured with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. Patients were also assessed for coping style, anxiety, depression, substance abuse and trauma severity.</p> <p> <italic>Main outcomes and results</italic>: Based on growth mixture modelling, four trajectories of emotional distress symptoms were identified: 73.5% of patients were characterized by a pattern of <italic>resilience</italic>, 6.8% by a pattern of <italic>delayed</italic> distress, 14.6% by <italic>recovery</italic> and 5.1% by <italic>chronic</italic> distress. Relative to the <italic>resilience</italic> trajectory, avoidant-coping style and psychiatric problems were related to <italic>recovery</italic> and <italic>chronic</italic> trajectories. The <italic>delayed</italic> trajectory was similar to the <italic>resilience</italic> trajectory, except for elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms at 1- and 5-years. Demographics and injury-related variables were not significantly associated with emotional distress trajectories.</p> <p> <italic>Conclusions</italic>: <italic>Resilience</italic> was the most common trajectory following TBI. Patients characterized by <italic>recovery</italic> and <italic>chronic</italic> trajectories required attention and long-term clinical monitoring of their symptoms. Future research would benefit from longitudinal studies to analyse emotional distress symptoms and the strength of resilience over time.</p> </abstract>