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Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancing Traumatic Brain Injury Research - A Closed-Head Model for Accurate Replication and Rapid Assessment
Published on: September 22, 2023
Association Between Recent Traumatic Brain Injury and Anxiety, Depression, and Binge Drinking Data From the Research
Dana Waltzman1, Rebecca B Naumann, Alexis B Peterson
1Author Affiliations: Division of Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia (Drs Waltzman, Naumann, Peterson, and Daugherty).
Objective:
Research highlights a potential relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychiatric disorders and substance use. However, the relationship between TBI and these conditions post-injury may be underestimated in many traditional research data sources (eg, health insurance claims).
Setting And Participants:
Nationally representative data (N = 10 320) from the Research and Development Survey (RANDS).
Design:
Cross-sectional.
Main Measures:
Estimate the association between recent (past 12 months) TBI and anxiety, depression, and binge drinking among adults and examine whether this relationship was modified by sex.
Results:
An estimated 5.6% of adults reported experiencing a recent TBI. Among males, sustaining a TBI was associated with 1.6 to 2.4 times the prevalence of adverse mental health measures (anxiety [aPR = 1.61, 95% CIs = 1.11-2.34] and depression [aPR = 2.40, 95% CIs = 1.51-3.80]) compared to males without a TBI. Similarly, among females, sustaining a TBI was associated with 2.2 to 2.6 times the prevalence of anxiety (aPR = 2.19, 95% CIs = 1.66-2.90) and depression (aPR = 2.63, 95% CIs = 1.92-3.61). Results for binge drinking did not suggest a strong association with TBI for either sex; however, CIs were wide.
Conclusion:
These findings can help inform treatment and management plans for TBI patients, including potential screening and referral for mental health services among individuals who have experienced a TBI.
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