Self-reported traumatic brain injury in a sample of impulsive violent offenders: Neuropsychiatric correlates and possible “dose effects”

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health problem that may be associated with numerous behavioral problems, including impulsivity, aggression and violence. Rates of self-reported TBI are high within offender populations, but the extent to which TBI is causally implicated in causing illegal behavior is unclear. This study examined the psychological and functional […]

Detangling the association between traumatic brain injury, mental health, and suicide in active duty service members

Suicide in the military represents a significant and multifaceted problem, with complex and interdependent factors contributing to its occurrence. Disentangling the intricate temporal associations between suicide and its numerous risk factors poses a significant challenge. Of the purported risk factors, traumatic brain injury (TBI) has received special focus, given its unfortunate status as the signature […]

Intentional self-harm among US veterans with traumatic brain injury or posttraumatic stress disorder: Retrospective cohort study from 2008 to 2017

Background: Veterans with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be at increased risk of suicide attempts and other forms of intentional self-harm as compared to veterans without TBI or PTSD. Objective: Using administrative data from the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA), we studied associations between TBI and PTSD diagnoses, and […]

Suicide and depression in former contact sports participants: Population-based cohort study, systematic review, and meta-analysis

Background: Former participants in sports characterised by low intensity repetitive head impact appear to have elevated rates of later dementia, but links with other psychological health outcomes such as depression and suicide are uncertain. We quantified the occurrence of these endpoints in former contact sports athletes against general population controls using new data from a cohort […]

Understanding TBI as a risk factor versus a means of suicide death using electronic health record data

Objective: The aim of this research was to examine predictors and characterize causes of suicide death in people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and conduct sensitivity analyses with and without people whose first diagnosis of TBI occurred within 3 days of their suicide death. Methods: This case-control study examined suicide risk for people with TBI in eight […]

Suicide attempts and mental health diagnoses in combat-injured service members: A retrospective cohort study

Introduction Examinations of risk factors for suicide attempt in United States service members at high risk of mental health diagnoses, such as those with combat injuries, are essential to guiding prevention and intervention efforts. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 8727 combat-injured patients matched to deployed, non-injured patients utilizing Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs administrative […]

Racial and ethnic differences in deaths by suicide, drug overdose, and opioid-related overdose in a national sample of military members with mild traumatic brain injury, 1999-

Objective: To examine racial and ethnic differences in suicide and drug and opioid-related overdose deaths among a population-based cohort of military service members who were diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) during military service. Design: Retrospective cohort. Setting: Military personnel receiving care within the Military Health System between 1999 and 2019. Participants: In total, 356 […]

Novel psychiatric disorders following mild traumatic brain injury: A retrospective multivariable analysis with screening recommendations

OBJECTIVE Concussions are a form of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) that most commonly occur after blunt trauma to the head and may result in temporary loss of consciousness. These patients are typically comanaged by neurocritical care specialists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons depending on the severity of disease. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) […]

The relationship between future self-continuity and suicide risk in military veterans with traumatic brain injury

Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) have an increased risk for suicide. A lack of Future-Self Continuity (FSC), which refers to the sense of “psychological connectedness” that a person has between their present and future selves, has also been associated with suicide risk. For this study, 308 U.S. military veterans, 39 of whom self-reported a […]

Exploration of race and ethnicity, sex, sport-related concussion, depression history, and suicide attempts in US youth

Importance  Racial, ethnic, and sex disparities for concussion incidence and suicide attempts in youth have been reported, but data on the interaction of these variables in a large national data set are lacking. Understanding how race and ethnicity interact with sex and concussion to influence suicide attempts could yield critical information on the sociocultural impact of […]

Association between concussions and suicidality in high school students in the United States

Objective: To examine whether sustaining a concussion remained a significant predictor of suicidality after controlling for relevant covariates (e.g., sexual abuse/assault, bullying, substance use, depression), hypothesizing that the relationship between concussion and suicidality would become non-significant after controlling for these variables. Design: This study involved secondary data analysis of the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) System, […]

Role of inflammation in suicide: From mechanisms to treatment

Suicidal behavior is complex and manifests because of a confluence of diverse factors. One such factor involves dysregulation of the immune system, which has been linked to the pathophysiology of suicidal behavior. This review will provide a brief description of suicidality and discuss the contribution of upstream and downstream factors in the etiology of suicidal […]

The role of inflammation in suicidal behaviour

Objective Over the past decade, clinical data have accumulated showing that inflammation might contribute to the pathophysiology of suicide. To evaluate the associations and to identify the support for pathways linking inflammatory processes with suicidal behaviour, a comprehensive review of the literature was undertaken. Method The search terms ‘cytokine’, ‘risk factors’, ‘kynurenine’, ‘asthma’, ‘allergy’, ‘autoimmunity’, […]

Suicide attempts in US veterans with chronic headache disorders: A 10-year retrospective cohort study

Objectives: A large-scale retrospective analysis of veterans with chronic pain was conducted to examine (1) the annual incidence of suicide attempts (SA) in veterans with chronic headache and other chronic pain conditions, and (2) the risk of SA in men and women with chronic headache and chronic headache concurrent with traumatic brain injury (TBI) as compared […]

Reported history of traumatic brain injury among suicide decedents: National Violent Death Reporting System, 2003-2017

Introduction Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of death and disability in the U.S., and research shows that individuals who suffer traumatic brain injury have an increased risk for suicide. This study examines the characteristics of suicide decedents with a documented traumatic brain injury history using a database containing circumstantial data on suicides and […]

Prevalence and severity of psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior in service members and veterans with and without traumatic brain injury: Systematic review

Objectives: Assess prevalence and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidal behavior, and depressive, substance use, and anxiety disorders in US service members or Veterans with and without a deployment-related mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) (mTBI). Design: Systematic review using multiple databases (January 2000 to October 2017). We included national or geographically diverse samples. Main Measure: Prevalence and […]

Traumatic brain injury-related deaths from firearm suicide: United States, 2008-2017

Objectives. To document the increasing influence of firearm suicide on the incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related death in the United States.Methods. We used national vital statistics data from 2008 to 2017 to identify TBI-related deaths, overall and by cause, among US residents. National counts stratified by year, sex, and age group (to facilitate age adjustment) were […]

The relationship between suicidal responses and traumatic brain injury and severe insomnia in active duty, veteran, and civilian populations

This study examined how a positive traumatic brain injury (TBI) screening and insomnia severity relate to suicidal outcomes across active duty, veteran, and civilian samples. Data were used from 3,993 participants from 19 studies. We conducted a series of analyses by group to identify which significantly differed on the variables of interest. TBI and insomnia […]

Traumatic brain injury and suicide

There is a need for more resources that are specifically targeted toward TBI survivors who may be considering suicide. Based upon this need, researchers at the VA VISN 19 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) produced this information and resources guide. The target audience is clinicians and care providers working with TBI survivors. […]

Risk of attempted suicide among adolescents and young adults with traumatic brain injury: A nationwide longitudinal study

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and suicidal behavior lead to serious morbidity and premature mortality. TBI in adulthood is associated with a higher incidence of suicide, but the risk in adolescents and young adults is not clear. METHODS: Longitudinal follow-up data were extracted from a National Health Insurance Research Database. Adolescents and young adults (12-29 […]

Risk factors for new-onset depression after first-time traumatic brain injury

Background Major depression after traumatic brain injury (TBI) has devastating consequences as it increases the risk of suicide, impairs overall quality of life, and affects interpersonal, occupational, and social functioning. Although the literature has reported factors associated with depression after TBI, very few studies have examined the prevalence and correlates focused on the development of new-onset depression […]

Association between traumatic brain injury and risk of suicide

Importance  Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can have serious long-term consequences, including psychiatric disorders. However, few studies have assessed the association between TBI and risk of suicide. Objective  To examine the association between TBI and subsequent suicide. Design, Setting, and Participants  Retrospective cohort study using nationwide registers covering 7 418 391 individuals (≥10 years) living in Denmark (1980-2014) with 164 265 624 person-years’ […]

Suicide and traumatic brain injury: A review by clinical researchers from the National Institute for Disability and Independent Living Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) and Veterans Health Administration traumatic brain injury model systems.

Research among a wide range of cohorts (e.g. civilian, military) has increasingly highlighted traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, including death by suicide. With this recognition, subsequent changes in clinical practice, such as TBI screenings among individuals seeking mental health services, as well as suicide risk assessment among […]