TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS - PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDERS IN THE FIRST 3 MONTHS

Objective: To assess predictive factors of psychiatric outcome in the first 3 months after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children and adol escents. Method: Subjects were children aged 6 to 14 years at the time they were hospitalized after TBI. The study used a prospective follow -up design. Assessments of preinjury psychiatric, behavioral, adaptive functioning, family functioning, and family psychiatric history statu s were conducted. Severity of injury was assessed by standard clinical scales and neuroimaging was analyzed. The outcome measure was the dev elopment of a psychiatric disorder, never before present (''novel'') i n a subject during the first 3 months after the TBI. Results: Fifty su bjects enrolled, and the analyses focused on 37 subjects followed up a t 3 months. Increasing severity of injury, presence of a lifetime psyc hiatric disorder, family psychiatric history, family dysfunction, and lower socioeconomic class/preinjury intellectual function predicted th e development of a ''novel'' psychiatric disorder in the first 3 month s of follow-up. Conclusions: These data suggest that there are childre n, identifiable through clinical assessment, at increased risk for dev elopment of psychiatric disorders in the first 3 months after TBI.