The natural history of drinking and alcohol-related problems after traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVES

To describe changes in drinking from before traumatic brain injury (TBI) to 1 year after TBI.

DESIGN

Inception cohort with 1-year follow-up.

SETTING

Level I trauma center.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults (N=197) hospitalized with a broad range of head injury severity.

INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems.

RESULTS

Drinking and alcohol-related problems decreased substantially from preinjury to 1 year after TBI. However, about one quarter of the sample reported heavy drinking, significant problems, or both during the first year after TBI. Preinjury alcohol use and problems were highly predictive of heavy use and problems after TBI.

CONCLUSION

Although drinking and alcohol-related problems decreased after TBI, there appears to be an ongoing need for prevention and intervention efforts. Screening for preinjury alcohol problems can be used to identify the vast majority of persons who will develop alcohol-related problems within 1 year after injury.