SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL-EFFECTS OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY IN CHILDREN

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and permane nt disability in children and adolescents. Although cognitive and beha vioural effects have now been reported for all degrees of TBI severity in children, other aspects of functioning which might be related (suc h as psychosocial adjustment), have been neglected. In the present stu dy the social and behavioural effects of TBI were assessed by comparin g 27 TBI children with 27 controls. TBI children demonstrated signific antly lower levels of self-esteem and adaptive behaviour, and higher l evels of loneliness, maladaptive behaviour and aggressive/antisocial b ehaviour. These findings confirm the previously demonstrated detriment al effects of TBI on children's behavioural functioning and offer new evidence for the detrimental effects of TBI on children's social funct ioning.