Over 1 million traumatic brain injuries occur each year in the USA. Hospitals in the Bluegrass State receive an average of about 40 visits a day from individuals who suffered a TBI, according to the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center. As noted in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association of Neurology, individuals who suffer a TBI or concussion are at greater risk of attempting suicide.
A severe TBI impacts not only the victim; because of the requirements of specialized lifelong or long-term care, the injury may affect the entire household. Living with a long-term TBI oftentimes results in cognitive impairment, headaches and dizziness that can cause victims to feel suicidal, as reported by WebMD.
The general symptoms of suicide may include hopelessness, depression and anxiety. For a former income earner no longer able to provide for his or her family, the psychological effects of a long-term TBI may overwhelm the victim with negative thoughts and feelings. Lacking professional post-injury psychological monitoring, the injured may not receive a much-needed mental health intervention. Researchers found an increased suicide risk factor of 2.5 in cases of individuals suffering from a severe TBI.
External factors in TBIs
The CDC notes that motor vehicle accidents are the second greatest cause of hospitalizations for TBIs and accounted for 20% of the related admissions in 2014. Falls are the overall leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, and like motor vehicle collisions, may generally qualify as preventable accidents.
As reported by Everyday Health, sports and recreational activities are the primary causes of traumatic brain injuries in adolescents. Almost 40% of TBIs sustained within the 15- to 19-year-old age group were attributable to sports and related activities.
Living with long-term TBI-related issues
Because an individual may need professional therapy and counseling to counteract the psychological effects of a TBI, an affected accident victim may require substantial financial relief. In the case of a preventable accident caused by the negligence of another party, legal action may help in recovering expenses for the full range of required post-injury treatment, including pain and suffering and lost wages.
