Association between traumatic brain injury and mental health care utilization: evidence from the Canadian Community Health Survey

BACKGROUND: Mental health disorders are a common sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and are associated with worse health outcomes including increased mental health care utilization. The objective of this study was to determine the association between TBI and use of mental health services in a population-based sample. METHODS: Using data from a national Canadian survey, this study evaluated the association between TBI and mental health care utilization, while adjusting for confounding variables. A log-Poisson regression model was used to estimate unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: The study sample included 158,287 TBI patients and 25,339,913 non-injured individuals. Compared with those were not injured, TBI patients reported higher proportions of chronic mental health conditions (27% vs. 12%, p < 0.001) and heavy drinking (33% vs. 24%, p = 0.005). The adjusted prevalence of mental health care utilization was 60% higher in patients with TBI than those who were not injured (PR = 1.60, 95%; CI 1.05–2.43). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that chronic mental health conditions and heavy drinking are more common in individuals with TBI. The prevalence of mental health care utilization is 60% higher in TBI patients compared with those who are not injured after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, mental health conditions, and heavy drinking. Future longitudinal research is required to examine the temporality and direction of the association between TBI and the use of mental health services.