New Study Documents Link Between TBIs & Suicide, Especially for Veterans

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) TBIs are the result of serious or repeated hits to the head, resulting in brain damage. They are both physical injuries, but also emotional and mental as well, which can ultimately lead to other medical issues, such as self-harm and substance abuse. The link between TBIs and suicide, and the lifelong consequences of TBIs, can be severe, however, they have not received enough attention from doctors until the last decade, and this is especially important for the more than 450,000 service members who were diagnosed with a TBI within the last two decades.

Research has specifically identified a dangerous link between TBIs and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), with suicidal ideation occurring in some cases. In particular, one new study now maps out the risks for veterans in particular, leveraging brain injuries with lifelong mental health issues, and specifically looks at how brain injuries can play a role in suicide. Specifically, the research found that prior TBI exposure increased the likelihood of soldiers being diagnosed with 14 specific mental health conditions, all of which were higher in the brain injury group (for example, substance abuse and anxiety both increased significantly in veterans who suffered from a TBI versus those who did not).

Research Indicates TBIs Make All Mental Health Issues Worse

The most remarkable outcome that was new from this particular study came from the findings between those who had a history of TBIs and who committed suicide: Specifically, the study found that veterans with TBIs took their own lives more than 20 percent sooner than those without brain injuries after returning from deployment. In addition, when additional diagnoses were added into any particular circumstance, this rate increased; For example, soldiers with a TBI and substance abuse disorder committed suicide more than 60 percent sooner than those without that link, and this followed a similar pattern for other alcohol use disorders, mood disorders, PTSD, and any combination of two post-brain injury diagnoses.

This is stark evidence that suffering from a TBI (due to negligence, etc.) not only increases the potential rate of suffering from other medical issues, but also makes them all worse when they combine; in what researchers would call a “feedback cycle.”

We Represent Victims of TBIs: Contact Our Las Vegas Office Today

As brain injury lawyers it is critical that we stay on top of all the recent scientific studies concerning what repercussions come with TBIs. If you or a loved one has experienced a brain injury, contact the experienced Las Vegas brain injury attorneys at Cameron Law, PLLC today to schedule a confidential consultation and find out more.

Source:

time.com/6300439/traumatic-brain-injury-and-suicide/