The relationship between dispositional mindfulness and psychological, cognitive, and functional outcomes following mild traumatic brain injury.

Background

Most individuals who sustain a mild uncomplicated Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) recover within 1-3 months. However, a significant proportion consistently report ongoing cognitive, psychological, and somatic sequelae, which can be functionally disabling and hinder active participation in society following injury. The present study examined dispositional mindfulness as a targetable protective factor as it pertains to psychological, cognitive, and functional outcomes in the post-acute stage of mTBI. Method. In this cross-sectional study, 45 litigating individuals with persistent symptoms in the post-acute stage following mTBI completed a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, which included current and retrospective pre-injury ratings of the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Results. Mindfulness was significantly associated with depression and anxiety but not with objective cognitive performance on measures of attention or working memory. Lower mindfulness was observed in individuals who had returned to work following injury compared to those who had not, specifically in the Observing and Describing facets. Pre-injury mindfulness significantly predicted scores on the Psychiatric Impairment Rating Scale, with higher Observing scores predicting worse functioning. Future research employing experimental and longitudinal designs can further elucidate these relationships.