Traumatic Brain Injury and Treatment of Behavioral Health Conditions

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common neurological condition that results from an external force altering normal brain function, whether temporarily or permanently. A concussion is one type of TBI. TBIs vary greatly in severity, which concomitantly creates tremendous variability in their manifestation. The fingerprint of TBI is damage to the frontal areas of the brain, which, with sufficient magnitude, results in impairment of a person's ability to regulate cognition, emotion, and behavior. These consequences of TBI make recognition in the context of treating behavioral health conditions of utmost importance. TBI not only causes behavioral health problems but also produces associated deficits that can undermine the effectiveness of treatment for a behavioral health condition. This overview delineates key characteristics of TBI and describes its association with behavioral health conditions. Mechanisms underlying the relationship between TBI and behavioral health are presented, and a series of recommendations for professionals are proposed. This article is intended to raise awareness about TBI and simultaneously introduce key concepts for accommodating the effects of TBI in behavioral health care.