Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Controlled Cortical Impact Model for Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 5, 2014
Alcohol and drug use following traumatic brain injury: a prospective study
Jennie Ponsford1, Rochelle Whelan-Goodinson, Alex Bahar-Fuchs
1Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth Hospital, Richmond, VA, Australia. jennie.ponsford@med.monash.edu.au
Primary Objectives:
To establish pre-morbid alcohol and drug use in persons with TBI, relative to controls, investigate how patterns of substance use change over time following TBI and identify factors associated with heavy post-injury substance use.
Methods And Procedures:
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification test (AUDIT) and Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) was completed by 121 hospital inpatients with TBI, documenting pre-injury alcohol and drug use, and 133 demographically similar controls. Participants with TBI completed these measures and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) again 1 and 2 years post-injury and 76 also completed them at 3 years.
Results:
Participants with TBI showed similar levels of drug and alcohol use to controls pre-injury, with 31.4% of the TBI group and 29.3% of controls drinking at hazardous levels. Alcohol and drug use declined in the first year post-injury, but increased by 2 years post-injury, with only 21.4% of participants with TBI reporting abstinence from alcohol and 25.4% drinking at hazardous levels. Only 9% showed a drug problem, but 24% had returned to some drug use. Those showing heavy alcohol use post-injury were young, male and heavy drinkers pre-injury. Drug and alcohol use was similar at 3 years post-injury.
Conclusions:
More active intervention is needed to reduce alcohol and drug use following TBI.
