“Teens who have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are two to four times more likely to use drugs or alcohol, compared with teens with no history of TBI, according to new research published in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.”
An article by Traci Pederson on PsychCentral notes that a TBI “is defined as any hit or blow to the head that results in being knocked out for at least five minutes or spending at least one night in the hospital due to head trauma symptoms”.
It is not clear from this study whether a TBI heightens the risk for head injury or vice versa, but the data indicates a clear link between adolescent TBI and brain injury. Moreover, the authors of the study emphasize that use of psychoactive substances may impair recovery from head trauma. They also want parents, professionals and patients, who may discount the seriousness of concussions, to take these injuries very seriously since “every concussion is a TBI” with potentially profound impacts on adolescent development.
Read more about this on PsychCentral:
Teens with Head Trauma Far More Likely to Use Drugs, Alcohol | Psych Central News.
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