A psychological assessment of adolescent and young adult inpatients after traumatic brain injury

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cognitive, behavioural, depre ssive and self- awareness disorders, and their relationships, after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in adolescent and young adult inpatients. Two groups of patients with (n = 83) and without (n = 103) TBI, aged 14-25 year s, hospitalized after severe traumatic pathology, were compared using the c linician' s report and self-report. A higher frequency of depressive tenden cies in TBI patients than in controls was shown in the clinician' s therape utic attitude (i. e. prescription of antidepressant drugs), the clinician's report and the self- report. The same difference between the two groups wa s observed for behavioural and schooling problems in the clinician' s repor t, but not in the self- report. Discrepancies between self- and clinician's evaluation were in favour of a lack of self- awareness of behavioural and cognitive disorders among TBI patients. Correlations of depressive mood wit h anxiety and cognitive complaints were stronger in TBI than in non- TBI pa tients. Depression in TBI patients seems compatible with some degree of lac k of self- awareness of cognitive and behavioural difficulties.