Early impaired self-awareness, depression, and subjective well-being following traumatic brain injury

To examine the incidence and intercorrelation of early impaired self-awareness (ISA) and depression after traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as their contributions to prediction of patients' subjective well-being at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.

Inception cohort.

Inpatient rehabilitation.

Subjects were 96 patients with TBI seen for inpatient rehabilitation at the Methodist Rehabilitation Center. All subjects had emerged from posttraumatic amnesia prior to assessment for this study.

None.

Subjective well-being as measured by the Satisfaction With Life Scale taken at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.

Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that ISA and functional status (Disability Rating Scale total score) at rehabilitation admission made independent contributions to prediction of subjective well-being. Bivariable correlational analyses demonstrated that frequency of depressive symptoms was inversely correlated with Satisfaction With Life Scale scores. Impaired self-awareness and depression were not correlated in this sample.

Results support the idea that ISA is an important factor in determining subjective well-being in patients with TBI at acute rehabilitation discharge. Early interventions to decrease ISA may improve patients' functional status at rehabilitation discharge.