Untreated mild traumatic brain injury in a young adult population

Abstract

The current study was conducted to determine (a) the demographic and injury characteristics of individuals who did not receive treatment for mild brain injury and (b) the reasons these individuals do not receive or seek treatment. In a large sample of undergraduate students initially surveyed via an on-line questionnaire (n = 1,853), 35% of those who responded to a subsequent survey acknowledged that they had experienced at least one mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) for which they were not treated. Compared with those who were treated for each TBI, those who were untreated were more likely to be men and were less likely to report persisting symptoms 3 months after the injury. There were no differences in demographics or injury characteristics (e.g., length of time unconscious) between groups. Of those with an untreated TBI, the most common reasons for not seeking treatment were that the symptoms resolved quickly and that they were neither bothersome nor disruptive. Findings are discussed in terms of research on recovery from mild TBI.