History of head injury among substance users: Preliminary findings

Traumatic brain injury is associated with a variety of problems in cognitiv e functioning that may be related to substance use and that may influence r ecovery. This pilot study of 591 inmates in medium and minimum-security pri sons examined self-reports of head injury, mental health problems, and heal th service utilization in three groups: no head injury, one head injury, an d two or more head injuries. The group with multiple head injuries reported significantly more emergency room visits, more hospital admission, and num ber of hospital stays when compared with those with no head injury. This pr eliminary analysis reflects a need for additional research on brain injury among substance misusers.