Psychosocial functioning at 4-years after pediatric mild traumatic brain injury

Objective: Behavioral and emotional difficulties are reported following pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). But few studies have used a broad conceptual approach to examine children's long-term psychosocial outcomes. This study examines children's psychosocial outcomes at 4-years after mild TBI and associated factors. Methods: Parents of 93 children (<16 years) with mild TBI completed subscales of age-appropriate versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and the Adolescent Scale of Participation questionnaire at 4-years post-injury. Results: Mean group-level scores were statistically significantly higher for hyperactivity/inattention and lower for emotional functioning than published norms. Levels of participation were greater compared to those observed in normative samples. More than 19% met published criteria for clinically significant hyperactivity/inattention, emotional functioning problems, peer relationship problems, and social functioning difficulties. Lower family socio-economic status and greater parental anxiety and depression were associated with overall psychosocial difficulties. Conclusions: Findings indicate that as a group, children with mild TBI are characterized by elevated rates of behavioral, emotional, and social difficulties at 4-years post-injury. Parent mental health may be an untapped opportunity to support children's psychosocial development following mild TBI, with replication required in larger samples.