Factors related to satisfaction with life in veterans with mild traumatic brain injury.

PURPOSE/

OBJECTIVE

Satisfaction with life (SWL) is an important measure of outcome in rehabilitation. Previous research suggests that those with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI), even mild TBI, report lower levels of life satisfaction when compared with the noninjured population. Although is it possible that TBI has a direct effect on SWL, various medical and psychosocial factors commonly affecting those recovering from TBI likely contribute to SWL.

RESEARCH METHOD/

DESIGN

The present study aimed to identify factors related to SWL in 95 veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) with a history of mild TBI.

RESULTS

Regression analyses indicated that headache impact, pain interference, sleep quality, posttraumatic stress symptom severity, and social support were all significantly related to SWL. However, when secondary analyses were conducted including posttraumatic stress symptom severity as a covariate before the entry of other predictors, only sleep quality and social support remained significantly associated with SWL.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: These results indicate the importance of properly identifying and treating symptoms of posttraumatic stress in veterans with a history of mTBI, as posttraumatic stress symptoms appear to be strongly related to SWL in those with a history of mild TBI. Optimizing sleep quality and social support may also be important in improving SWL.