A Directed Content Analysis for Greatest Problems Among People With and Without Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the greatest problem or need among individuals with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI), as compared with individuals with a history of other neurologic conditions, mental health conditions, and no history of neurologic or mental health conditions. DESIGN: A directed content analysis of open-text responses to a single online survey question using a framework guided by the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2861 community-dwelling adults (n=274 with TBI; n=289 with other neurologic conditions besides TBI; n=454 with mental health conditions but no neurologic conditions; and n=1844 controls). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Open-text responses to the survey prompt: "What was your greatest problem or need over the past 2 weeks?" RESULTS: The Participation index comprised the greatest proportion of responses across all 4 participant groups. A quarter (25.4%) of controls reported None (no problem/need), whereas only 7.9%-10.7% of participants in all other groups reported None. Among all groups, individuals with TBI reported the greatest proportion of problems in the Adjustment and Ability indices. Among people with TBI, Money Management (19.7%), None (10.6%), and Anxiety (7.7%) were the 3 most frequently reported problems. Compared with individuals with mild TBI (mTBI), individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI (msTBI) reported a higher proportion of problems in the Ability and Adjustment indices. Among individuals with msTBI, the Adjustment index accounted for the greatest proportion of problems. CONCLUSIONS: This study employed a person-centered approach to understanding the greatest needs among individuals with TBI. Qualitative differences were observed between individuals with and without TBI, between people with mTBI and msTBI, and across genders among people with TBI. These findings can help guide research and policy toward addressing challenges perceived as highly important by people living in the community with TBI.

Home, but Homebound After Traumatic Brain Injury: Risk Factors and Associations With Nursing Home Entry and Death.

OBJECTIVE: To examine risk factors associated with homeboundness 1-year after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to explore associations between homebound status and risk of future mortality and nursing home entry. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a longitudinal prospective cohort study. SETTING: TBI Model Systems centers. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling TBI Model Systems participants (n=6595) who sustained moderate-to-severe TBI between 2006 and 2016, and resided in a private residence 1-year postinjury. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Homebound status (leaving home ≤1-2d per week), 5-year mortality, and 2- or 5-year nursing home entry. RESULTS: In our sample, 14.2% of individuals were homebound 1-year postinjury, including 2% who never left home. Older age, having less than a bachelor's degree, Medicaid insurance, living in the Northeast or Midwest, dependence on others or special services for transportation, unemployment or retirement, and needing assistance for locomotion, bladder management, and social interactions at 1-year postinjury were associated with being homebound. After adjustment for potential confounders and an inverse probability weight for nonrandom attrition bias, being homebound was associated with a 1.69-times (95% confidence interval, 1.35-2.11) greater risk of 5-year mortality, and a nonsignificant but trending association with nursing home entry by 5 years postinjury (RR=1.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-3.87). Associations between homeboundness and mortality were consistent by age subgroup (±65y). CONCLUSIONS: The negative long-term health outcomes among persons with TBI who rarely leave home warrants the need to re-evaluate home discharge as unequivocally positive. The identified risk factors for homebound status, and its associated negative long-term outcomes, should be considered when preparing patients and their families for discharge from acute and postacute rehabilitation care settings. Addressing modifiable risk factors for homeboundness, such as accessible public transportation options and home care to address mobility, could be targets for individual referrals and policy intervention.

Associations of Nightmares and Sleep Disturbance With Neurobehavioral Symptoms Postconcussion.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the association of nightmares beyond general sleep disturbance on neurobehavioral symptoms in adults with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a concussion cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and eleven adults older than 20 years with mTBI were recruited from a specialized concussion treatment center. MAIN MEASURES: Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and self-report of nightmare frequency in the past 2 weeks. RESULTS: Among adults with mTBI, nightmares accounted for the greatest amount of variability in negative affect (ß = .362, P < .001), anxiety (ß = .332, P < .001), and impulsivity (ß = .270, P < .001) after adjusting for age and sex. Overall sleep disturbance had the strongest association with depression (ß = .493, P < .001), fatigue (ß = .449, P < .001), self-reported executive dysfunction (ß = .376, P < .001), and overall burden from concussive symptoms (ß = .477, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Nightmares and sleep disturbance are differentially associated with variance in neurobehavioral symptoms. Nightmares were independently associated with neurobehavioral symptoms representing an excess of normal functioning (eg, anxiety, impulsivity), while general sleep disturbance was associated with neurobehavioral symptoms representing functioning below normal levels (eg, depression, fatigue, self-reported executive dysfunction). Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Neurobehavioral Symptom Profiles for the Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To identify neurobehavioral symptom profiles among persons with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) using the Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool (BAST) and to consider participant characteristics that differ between profile groups. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (n = 615) were English-speaking adults (≥18) and had a self-reported history of at least one TBI of any severity. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data. MAIN MEASURES: The BAST measures neurobehavioral symptoms in the domains of Negative Affect, Fatigue, Executive Dysfunction, Impulsivity, and Substance Misuse. RESULTS: Using latent profile analysis (LPA), we identified 3 different neurobehavioral profiles. Overall symptom frequency and differences in the pattern of symptom frequency across domains differentiated the profile groups. Average domain scores differed significantly across the profiles ( P < .001) for all domains except Fatigue ( P = .076). Those in profile 3 (High-Risk group) reported the most frequent symptoms across all domains (similar Negative Affect frequency as profile 1). Substance Misuse was especially high in this group. Compared to profile 2 (High Negative Affect group), participants in profile 1 (Moderate-Risk group) endorsed significantly more frequent (and more variable) symptoms across all BAST domains, particularly Impulsivity and Substance Misuse. Participants in profile 2 endorsed the least frequent symptoms across all domains. Demographic comparison showed that groups differed based on gender, age, and injury severity (mild vs moderate-severe), with profile 3 composed of the most men and the most persons in early adulthood, and profile 2 composed of the most women and those with mild TBI. CONCLUSIONS: We differentiated 3 neurobehavioral symptom profiles among persons with chronic TBI and determined differences in sociodemographic factors between the groups. Future research should focus on validating these profiles in another sample of individuals with chronic TBI. Characterizing persons according to multidimensional symptom profiles could allow for more tailored approaches to predict and prevent long-term negative outcomes.

Emotional, Behavioral, and Cognitive Symptom Associations With Community Participation in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between self-reported emotional and cognitive symptoms and participation outcomes in chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to explore the relative contribution of self-reported versus performance-based cognition to participation outcomes. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling adults ( n = 135) with a lifetime history of mild to severe TBI. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study on neurobehavioral symptoms in chronic TBI. MAIN MEASURES: Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool (BAST) (Negative Affect, Fatigue, Executive Dysfunction, Impulsivity, Substance Abuse subscales) measured self-reported neurobehavioral symptoms; Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools (Productivity, Social Relations, and Out and About) measured self-reported participation outcomes; and Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (BTACT) measured performance-based cognition (Episodic Memory and Executive Function summary scores) in a subsample ( n = 40). RESULTS: The BAST Executive Dysfunction was significantly associated with less frequent participation and had the strongest effect on participation in all participation domains. No other BAST subscales were associated with participation, after adjusting for all subscale scores and age, with the exception of BAST Impulsivity, which was associated with more frequent Social Relationships. Exploratory analysis in the sample including the BTACT revealed that, after accounting for subjective Executive Dysfunction using the BAST, performance-based Executive Function was associated with Productivity and Working Memory was associated with Social Relations, but neither was associated with being Out and About; the BAST Executive Dysfunction remained significant in all models even after including BTACT scores. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported Executive Dysfunction contributed to participation outcomes after mild to severe TBI in community-dwelling adults, whereas self-reported emotional and fatigue symptoms did not. Performance-based cognition measures may capture different variability in participation after injury.

Characterizing Health Literacy and Its Correlates Among Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A TBI Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize health literacy among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) at least a year postinjury and to explore its relationship to sociodemographic variables, injury severity, and cognition. SETTING: Community following discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 205 individuals with complicated mild to severe TBI who completed follow-up as part of a national longitudinal study of TBI and completed a web-based health literacy measure. DESIGN: Multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study. MAIN MEASURES: Health Literacy Assessment Using Talking Touchscreen Technology. RESULTS: Thirty-one percent of the sample demonstrated marginal/inadequate health literacy; 69% demonstrated adequate health literacy. A higher proportion of non-Hispanic White adults had adequate health literacy than non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic adults. Individuals with greater than a high school education were more likely to have adequate health literacy than those with a high school education or less. Better executive functioning performance was related to adequate health literacy. Better episodic memory performance was related to adequate health literacy, but only for those with complicated mild to moderate injury. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of individuals with TBI have marginal/inadequate health literacy, which may impact their understanding, appreciation, and use of health-related information and recommendations. While low health literacy may be preexisting, directly related to TBI, or a combination of both, it should be screened and considered by professionals when communicating with persons with TBI. Healthcare providers should tailor their communication approaches and presentation of health information, particularly for those with low health literacy.

The Relationship of Health Literacy to Health Outcomes Among Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between health literacy and health outcomes among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) at least a year post-injury. SETTING: Community following discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 205 individuals with complicated mild to severe TBI who completed a TBI Model Systems National Database follow-up interview and a web-based health literacy measure. DESIGN: A multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study. MAIN MEASURES: The Health Literacy Assessment Using Talking Touchscreen Technology (Health LiTT), number of comorbid conditions (Medical and Mental Health Comorbidities Interview [MMHCI]), perceived physical and mental health (PROMIS Global Physical and Mental Health subscales), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). RESULTS: After controlling for sociodemographic, injury, cognition, and time post-injury, adequate health literacy was associated with higher odds of greater perceived physical health compared with participants with marginal/inadequate health literacy (odds ratio = 4.10; CI = 1.52-11.70]. Participants with inadequate/marginal health literacy had 3.50 times greater odds of depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) compared with those with adequate health literacy. Participants 45 years and older reported a greater number of MMHCI physical health conditions, but fewer MMHCI mental health conditions and GAD-7 anxiety symptoms compared with those who were younger. Non-Hispanic White participants and those with mild/moderate TBI were more likely to report a greater number of MMHCI mental health conditions compared with non-Hispanic Black participants or those with severe TBI. Greater time post-injury was associated with greater number of chronic physical and mental health conditions, and less odds of good-to-excellent perceived global mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate health literacy is associated with worse perceived physical health and greater depressive symptoms among adults with TBI. Greater efforts are needed to explore the mechanisms by which health literacy influences chronic disease management and mental health after TBI to improve postinjury health status and outcomes, particularly among those with limited health literacy skills.

Association Between Participation and Satisfaction With Life Over Time in Older Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury: A TBI Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between participation and satisfaction with life at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in older adults. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Participants ( N = 2362) who sustained complicated mild to severe TBI, requiring inpatient rehabilitation, at age 60 years or older and had follow-up data on participation and satisfaction with life for at least 1 follow-up time point across 1, 2, 5, and 10 years. Age at each time period was categorized as 60 to 64 years, 65 to 75 years, and 75 years or older. DESIGN: Secondary data analysis of a large multicenter database. MAIN MEASURES: Three domains (Productivity, Social Relations, Out and About) of the Participation Assessment With Recombined Tools-Objective (PART-O); Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). RESULTS: SWLS increased over the 10 years after TBI and was significantly associated with greater frequency of participation across all domains. There was a significant interaction between age and PART-O Social Relations such that there was a weaker relationship between Social Relations and SWLS in the oldest group (75 years or older). There was no interaction between Productivity or Out and About and age, but greater participation in both of these domains was associated with greater life satisfaction across age groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that greater participation is associated with increased satisfaction with life in older adults, across all participation domains over the first 10 years postinjury, suggesting that rehabilitation should target improving participation even in older adults. The decreased association of social relations with satisfaction with life in the oldest age group suggests that frequency of social relations may not be as important for life satisfaction in the oldest adults, but quality may still be important.

Predictors of Multidimensional Profiles of Participation After Traumatic Brain Injury: A TBI Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVES: To identify personal, clinical, and environmental factors associated with 4 previously identified distinct multidimensional participation profiles of individuals following traumatic brain injury (TBI). SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (n = 408) enrolled in the TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) Participation Module, all 1 year or more postinjury. DESIGN: Secondary data analysis of cross-sectional data from participants in a multicenter TBIMS module study on participation conducted between May 2006 and September 2007. Participants provided responses to questionnaires via a telephone interview at their study follow-up (1, 2, 5, 10, or 15 years postinjury). MAIN MEASURES: Participants provided responses to personal (eg, demographic), clinical (eg, function), environmental (eg, neighborhood type), and participation measures to create multidimensional participation profiles. Data from measures collected at the time of injury (preinjury questionnaire, injury characteristics) were also included. The primary outcome was assignment to one of 4 multidimensional participation profile groups based on participation frequency, importance, satisfaction, and enfranchisement. The measures used to develop the profiles were: Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective, Importance, and Satisfaction scores, each across 3 domains (Productivity, Social Relationships, Out and About in the Community) and the Enfranchisement Scale (contributing to one's community, feeling valued by the community, choice and control). RESULTS: Results of the multinomial regression analysis, with 4 distinct participation profile groups as the outcome, indicated that education, current employment, current illicit drug use, current driving status, community type, and Functional Independence Measure Cognitive at follow-up significantly distinguished participation profile groups. Findings suggest a trend toward differences in participation profile groups by race/Hispanic ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding personal, clinical, and environmental factors associated with distinct participation outcome profiles following TBI may provide more personalized and nuanced guidance to inform rehabilitation intervention planning and/or ongoing clinical monitoring.

The TBI Model Systems Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage Index (TBIMS-NSDI): Development and Comparison to Individual Socioeconomic Characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: To create a census-based composite neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation index (NSDI) from geocoded residential addresses and to quantify how NSDI aligns with individual-level socioeconomic factors among people with traumatic brain injury (TBI). SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: People enrolled in the TBI Model Systems National Database (TBIMS NDB). DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a longitudinal cohort study. MAIN MEASURES: The TBIMS-NSDI was calculated at the census tract level for the United States population based on a principal components analysis of eight census tract-level variables from the American Community Survey. Individual socioeconomic characteristics from the TBIMS NDB were personal household income, education (years), and unemployment status. Neighborhood:Individual NSDI residuals represent the difference between predicted neighborhood disadvantage based on individual socioeconomic characteristics versus observed neighborhood disadvantage based on the TBIMS-NSDI. RESULTS: A single principal component was found to encompass the eight socioeconomic neighborhood-level variables. It was normally distributed across follow-up years 2, 5, and 10 post-injury in the TBIMS NDB. In all years, the TBIMS-NDSI was significantly associated with individual-level measures of household income and education but not unemployment status. Males, persons of Black and Hispanic background, Medicaid recipients, persons with TBI caused by violence, and those living in urban areas, as well as in the Northeast or Southern regions of the United States, were more likely to have greater neighborhood disadvantage than predicted based on their individual socioeconomic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The TBIMS-NSDI provides a neighborhood-level indicator of socioeconomic disadvantage, an important social determinant of outcomes from TBI. The Neighborhood:Individual NSDI residual adds another dimension to the TBIMS-NSDI by summarizing how a person's socioeconomic status aligns with their neighborhood socioeconomics. Future studies should evaluate how both measures affect TBI recovery and life quality. Research studying neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage may improve our understanding of how systemic adversity influences outcomes after TBI.

Cognitive Performance is Associated With 1-Year Participation and Life Satisfaction Outcomes: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine, in persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI), the association between cognitive change after inpatient rehabilitation discharge and 1-year participation and life satisfaction outcomes. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of prospectively collected TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) data. SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation and community. PARTICIPANTS: 499 individuals with TBI requiring inpatient rehabilitation who completed the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (BTACT) at inpatient rehabilitation discharge (ie, baseline) and 1-year postinjury. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective (PART-O) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). RESULTS: Of 2,840 TBIMS participants with baseline BTACT, 499 met inclusion criteria (mean [standard deviation] age = 45 [19] years; 72% male). Change in BTACT executive function (EF) was not associated with 1-year participation (PART-O; ß = 0.087, 95% CI [-0.004, 0.178], P = .061) when it was the sole model predictor. Change in BTACT episodic memory (EM) was associated with 1-year participation (ß = 0.096, [0.007, 0.184], P = .035), but not after adjusting for demographic, clinical, and functional status covariates (ß = 0.067, 95% CI [-0.010, 0.145], P = .089). Change in BTACT EF was not associated with life satisfaction total scores (SWLS) when it was the sole model predictor (ß = 0.091, 95% CI [-0.001, 0.182], P = .0503). Change in BTACT EM was associated with 1-year life satisfaction before (ß = 0.114, 95% CI [0.025, 0.202], P = .012) and after adjusting for covariates (ß = 0.103, [0.014, 0.191], P = .023). In secondary analyses, change in BTACT EF was associated with PART-O Social Relations and Out and About subdomains before (Social Relations: ß = 0.127, 95% CI [0.036, 0.217], P = .006; Out and About: ß = 0.141, 95% CI [0.051, 0.232], P = .002) and after (Social Relations: ß = 0.168, 95% CI [0.072, 0.265], P < .002; Out and About: ß = 0.156, 95% CI [0.061, 0.252], P < .002) adjusting for functional status and further adjusting for covariates (Social Relations: ß = 0.127, 95% CI [0.040, 0.214], P = .004; Out and About: ß = 0.136, 95% CI [0.043, 0.229], P = .004). However, only the models adjusting for functional status remained significant after multiple comparison correction (ie, Bonferroni-adjusted alpha level = 0.002). CONCLUSION: EF gains during the first year after TBI were related to 1-year social and community participation. Gains in EM were associated with 1-year life satisfaction. These results highlight the potential benefit of cognitive rehabilitation after inpatient rehabilitation discharge and the need for interventions targeting specific cognitive functions that may contribute to participation and life satisfaction after TBI.

10-year variability in high and low life satisfaction trajectories post-traumatic brain injury: a TBI model systems study.

PURPOSE: To determine how life satisfaction changes across the first 10 years following traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: Participants included 1,941 individuals from the TBI Model Systems database with life satisfaction data at 1-, 5-, and 10-years post-TBI. Based on Satisfaction With Life Scale scores, individuals were characterized as having one of the five 10-year life satisfaction trajectories: 'Stable High,' 'Stable Low,' 'Increased to High,' 'Decreased to Low,' and 'Unstable.' These were analyzed for group differences in demographics and psychosocial and functional outcomes. RESULTS: Sixty percent participants had 'Stable High' or 'Increasing to High' trajectories. Approximately 25% had "Stable Low' or 'Decreasing to Low' trajectories, and approximately 15% had unstable trajectories. Higher life satisfaction trajectories were associated with the best psychosocial and functional outcomes whereas lower trajectories were associated with the worst psychosocial and functional outcomes. Trajectories were indistinguishable based on demographics. CONCLUSION: Life satisfaction over the first 10 years following TBI is dynamic, with most individuals reporting high life satisfaction by 10 years post-TBI. Examination of psychosocial and functional factors related to life satisfaction trajectories may inform community-based intervention recommendations, resources, and supports to maximize long-term satisfaction with life.

Age-related smartphone use patterns among individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: With mobile health technologies serving as an alternative means of providing healthcare, evaluating patients' abilities to navigate digital infrastructures is becoming increasingly relevant. The goal of this study is to investigate smartphone use patterns among individuals with history of moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: An anonymous survey was delivered via e-mail or text message to eligible participants who had a history of moderate-to-severe TBI and were prospectively followed at one of the eight participating Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems centers for at least 1-year post-injury. The survey captured demographic data and included a questionnaire to evaluate smartphone use (calling, texting, web browsing, etc.). RESULTS: A total of 2665 eligible individuals were contacted to complete the survey, 472 of which responded. 441 of them reported smartphone use. Individuals ages 45 and older were significantly less likely to use their phones for functions other than calling and texting when compared to individuals ages 18-44 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Most individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI in this cohort demonstrated intentional smartphone use, suggesting that mobile health technologies may be feasible as a cost-effective healthcare alternative. However, doing so will require additional interventions to provide further technological education especially in older individuals with TBI.

The Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool for Mobile Health (BASTmHealth): Development and Compliance in 2 Weeks of Daily Reporting in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and evaluate the feasibility of a short form of the Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool (BASTmHealth) for high frequency in situ self-reported assessment of neurobehavioral symptoms using mobile health technology for community-dwelling adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: Prospective, repeated-measures study of mHealth assessment of self-reported neurobehavioral symptoms in adults with and without a lifetime history of TBI over a 2-week period. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling adults with (n=52) and without (n=12) a lifetime TBI history consented to the study (N=64). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: BASTmHealth subscales (2-items each): negative affect, fatigue, executive function, substance abuse, impulsivity; feasibility measured via compliance (assessments assigned/assessments completed) and participant-reported usability. RESULTS: We developed the 10-item BASTmHealth as a screener for high frequency in situ self-reported assessment of neurobehavioral symptoms leveraging mHealth. Compliance for 2 weeks of BASTmHealth supports its feasibility. Fifty-six of 64 participants (87.5%) who completed baseline assessments completed the 2 weeks of daily assessments; all 8 participants who did not complete ecological momentary assessment had a history of TBI. Overall compliance was 81.4% (496 completed of 609 assigned assessments) among all 52 participants with TBI and 96.7% (494 completed of 511 assigned assessments) among the 44 who completed any daily measures, compared with 91.8% (135 completed of 147 assigned assessments) among those with no TBI history. Participants thought the daily surveys were easy to understand and complete and the number of prompts were reasonable. CONCLUSIONS: Conducting daily high-frequency in situ self-reported assessment of neurobehavioral symptoms using the BASTmHealth is feasible among individuals with and without a lifetime history of TBI. Developing and evaluating self-reported assessments for community-based assessment is a critical step toward expanding remote clinical monitoring systems to improve post-TBI outcomes.

Societal Participation of People With Traumatic Brain Injury Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A NIDILRR Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on societal participation in people with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional retrospective cohort. SETTING: National TBI Model Systems centers, United States. PARTICIPANTS: TBI Model Systems enrollees (N=7003), ages 16 and older and 1-30 years postinjury, interviewed either prepandemic (PP) or during the pandemic (DP). The sample was primarily male (72.4%) and White (69.5%), with motor vehicle collisions as the most common cause of injury (55.1%). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The 3 subscales of the Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective: Out and About (community involvement), Productivity, and Social Relations. RESULTS: Out and About, but not Productivity or Social Relations, scores were appreciably lower among DP participants compared to PP participants (medium effect). Demographic and clinical characteristics showed similar patterns of association with participation domains across PP and DP. When their unique contributions were examined in regression models, age, self-identified race, education level, employment status, marital status, income level, disability severity, and life satisfaction were variably predictive of participation domains, though most effects were small or medium in size. Depression and anxiety symptom severities each showed small zero-order correlations with participation domains across PP and DP but had negligible effects in regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with the effect of COVID-19 on participation levels in the general population, people with TBI reported less community involvement during the pandemic, potentially compounding existing postinjury challenges to societal integration. The pandemic does not appear to have altered patterns of association between demographic/clinical characteristics and participation. Assessing and addressing barriers to community involvement should be a priority for TBI treatment providers. Longitudinal studies of TBI that consider pandemic-related effects on participation and other societally linked outcomes will help to elucidate the potential longer-term effect the pandemic has on behavioral health in this population.

Early Factors Predictive of Extreme High and Low Life Satisfaction 10 Years Post-Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To identify demographic, injury-related, and 1-year postinjury clinical and functional predictors of high and low life satisfaction at 10 years after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) using an extreme phenotyping approach. SETTING: Multicenter longitudinal database study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 3040 people from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research TBI Model Systems database with life satisfaction data at 10 years post-TBI. DESIGN: Multicenter, cross-sectional, observational design. MAIN MEASURES: Satisfaction With Life Scale (outcome), Glasgow Coma Scale, Disability Rating Scale, Functional Independence Measure, Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and General Anxiety Disorder-7 (standardized predictors). RESULTS: Greater cognitive and motor independence, more frequent community participation, and less depressive symptoms 1 year post-moderate to severe TBI predicted extreme high life satisfaction 10 years later. Non-Hispanic White and Hispanic individuals were significantly more likely than Black individuals to have extreme high life satisfaction 10 years post-TBI. CONCLUSIONS: Extreme phenotyping analysis complements existing knowledge regarding life satisfaction post-moderate to severe TBI. From a chronic disease management perspective, future studies are needed to examine the feasibility and impact of early postinjury medical and rehabilitative interventions targeting cognitive and motor function, community participation, and mood on the maintenance/enhancement of long-term life satisfaction post-TBI.

Suicide Attempts and Ideation Among Veterans/Service Members and Non-Veterans Over 5 Years Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Combined NIDILRR and VA TBI Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared rates of suicide attempt (SA) and suicidal ideation (SI) during the first 5 years after traumatic brain injury (TBI) among veterans and service members (V/SMs) in the Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) Model Systems National Databases to each other and to non-veterans (non-Vs) in the NIDILRR database. SETTING: Twenty-one NIDILRR and 5 VA TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) inpatient rehabilitation facilities in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Participants with TBI were discharged from rehabilitation alive, had a known military status recorded (either non-V or history of military service), and successful 1-, 2-, and/or 5-year follow-up interviews completed between 2009 and 2021. The year 1 cohort included 8737 unique participants (8347 with SA data and 3987 with SI data); the year 2 (7628 participants) and year 5 (4837 participants) cohorts both had similar demographic characteristics to the year 1 cohort. DESIGN: Longitudinal design with data collected across TBIMS centers at 1, 2, and 5 years post-injury. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: History of SA in past year and SI in past 2 weeks assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Patient demographics, injury characteristics, and rehabilitation outcomes were also assessed. RESULTS: Full sample rates of SA were 1.9%, 1.5%, and 1.6%, and rates of SI were 9.6%, 10.1%, and 8.7% (respectively at years 1, 2, and 5). There were significant differences among groups based on demographic, injury-related, mental/behavioral health, and functional outcome variables. Characteristics predicting SA/SI related to mental health history, substance use, younger age, lower functional independence, and greater levels of disability. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with participants with TBI in the NIDILRR system, higher rates of SI among V/SMs with TBI in the VA system appear associated with risk factors observed within this group, including mental/behavioral health characteristics and overall levels of disability.

Predictors of High School and College Graduation After Sustaining a Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To identify early predictors of US high school and college graduation after moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation and community. PARTICIPANTS: TBI Model Systems participants, aged 16 to 24 years, enrolled as high school or college students at time of injury. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. MAIN MEASURES: Successful graduation was defined as having a diploma (high school) or an associate/bachelor's degree (college) at 1-, 2-, or 5-year follow-up. Predictors were sex, race/ethnicity, urbanicity, preinjury substance abuse, primary rehabilitation payer, and functional independence at inpatient rehabilitation discharge. METHOD: We descriptively characterized differences between those who did and did not graduate high school and college within the first 5 years postinjury and identified early predictors of successful high school and college graduation using 2 binomial logistic regressions. RESULTS: Of those with known graduation status, 81.2% of high school and 41.8% of college students successfully graduated. Graduates in both groups were more often White than Black and had more functional independence at discharge. Among high school students, preinjury substance abuse was also a risk factor for not graduating, as was identifying as Hispanic or "other" race. CONCLUSIONS: Sociodemographic factors and disability influence graduation outcomes, requiring structural, institutional, and personal interventions for success.

A Network Analysis of the PART-O at 1 and 2 Years After TBI: A Veterans Affairs Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: The construct of participation after traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be difficult to operationalize. Psychometric network analysis offers an empirical approach to visualizing and quantifying the associations between activities that comprise participation, elucidating the relations among the construct's components without assuming the presence of a latent common cause and generating a model to inform future measurement methods. The current research applied psychometric network analysis to the Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective (PART-O) within a sample of service members and veterans (SM/Vs) with a history of TBI at 1 and 2 years ( T1 and T2 ) postinjury. PARTICIPANTS: Participants ( N = 663) were SM/Vs with a history of TBI who completed comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation services at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center (PRC). SETTING: Five VA PRCs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of data from the VA TBI Model Systems study. MAIN MEASURES: PART-O. RESULTS: Network analysis demonstrated that the PART-O structure was generally consistent over time, but some differences emerged. The greatest difference observed was the association between "spending time with friends" and "giving emotional support" to others. This association was more than twice as strong at T2 as at T1 . The "out of the house" item was most central, as demonstrated by dense connections within its own subscale (Out and About) and items in other subscales (ie, Social Relations and Productivity). When examining items connecting the 3 subscales, the items related to giving emotional support, internet use, and getting out of the house emerged as the strongest connectors at T1 , and the internet was the strongest connector at T2 . CONCLUSION: Providing emotional support to others is associated with greater participation across multiple domains and is an important indicator of recovery. Being out and about, internet use, and engagement in productive activities such as school and work shared strong associations with Social Relations. Network analysis permits visual conceptualization of the dynamic constructs that comprise participation and has the potential to inform approaches to measurement and treatment.

Feasibility of Problem-Solving Training During Inpatient Rehabilitation in Patients With Stroke.

IMPORTANCE: Stroke survivors report feeling unprepared to manage challenges that arise during the transition from hospital to home. Cultivating problem-solving skills before discharge may better prepare patients for the transition home. OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of a protocol to deliver Problem-Solving Training (PST) to stroke survivors during inpatient rehabilitation to increase goal achievement. DESIGN: Single-group feasibility study. SETTING: Academic and county hospital inpatient rehabilitation units. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients with stroke and planned discharge home. INTERVENTION: Up to six PST sessions over 2 to 3 wk followed by 3 mo of mobile health boosters. RESULTS: Of 17 eligible participants, 15 consented and 11 completed three or more PST sessions. Six participants used electronic boosters, achieving at least one goal postdischarge. Participants reported high satisfaction with PST (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 M score = 29.3, SD = 4.4; range = 8-32), moderate depression at baseline (eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-8] score, M = 11.0, SD = 6.1; range = 0-27), mild depression at 3 mo postdischarge (PHQ-8 score, M = 8.3, SD = 5.5), moderately high self-efficacy at baseline (General Self-Efficacy Scale [GSE] score, M = 31.1, SD = 7.3; range = 10-40), and a self-efficacy increase at 3 mo postdischarge (GSE score, M = 34.1, SD = 4.2). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: PST among patients with stroke during inpatient rehabilitation was feasible, and participants demonstrated improvements in clinical outcomes and goal attainment. Barriers to participation and adherence should be addressed in future studies. What This Article Adds: Teaching patients problem-solving skills early after a stroke using a metacognitive strategy is feasible and may decrease depression and increase self-efficacy while fostering independent goal setting and problem solving.