Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2026
Systems Analysis of the Neuroinflammatory and Hemodynamic Response to Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: May 27, 2022
Data-Driven Profiles of Psychopathology After Moderate-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Jai Carmichael1, Lucas Thoma, Gershon Spitz
1Author Affiliations: Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (Dr Carmichael, Mr Thoma, Dr Spitz, and Prof Ponsford); and Department of Neuroscience, School of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (Dr Spitz).
Objective:
To identify data-driven profiles of psychopathology among adults with moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) using a transdiagnostic assessment battery, and to exploratorily examine demographic, injury-related, and clinical correlates of profile membership.
Setting:
Community survey.
Participants:
Participants (513 enrolled, 397 analyzed) were sampled from a larger cohort previously admitted consecutively for inpatient rehabilitation. They took part in this study on average 12.63 years postinjury (range 0.40-35.42).
Design:
Observational, cross-sectional.
Main Measures:
A comprehensive battery of psychiatric questionnaires, including the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms-Expanded Version, Somatic Symptom Scale-8, Comprehensive Assessment of Traits Relevant to Personality Disorders, and Externalizing Spectrum Inventory-Brief Form. This battery was previously validated in the same sample to assess 7 transdiagnostic dimensions of psychopathology: 4 internalizing (Detachment, Dysregulated Negative Emotionality, Somatic Symptoms, Compensatory, and Phobic Reactions) and 3 externalizing (Self-Harm and Psychoticism, Rigid Constraint, Harmful Substance Use).
Results:
Latent profile analysis identified 5 profiles: Average Internalizing (29% of participants most resembled this profile), Lower Psychopathology (25%), Elevated Internalizing (21%), Substance Use (16%), and Elevated Psychopathology (10%). In exploratory multivariable analyses, younger age, greater self-reported functional disability, lower life satisfaction, and mental health treatment were consistently associated with more severe psychopathology profiles. Male sex and unemployment were consistently associated with the Substance Use profile. Education, Glasgow Coma Scale scores, post-traumatic amnesia duration, and comorbid orthopedic injuries showed no significant associations with psychopathology profiles.
Conclusions:
A data-driven categorical approach identified psychopathology profiles following moderate-severe TBI that differed primarily in overall severity. Profiles reflecting greater psychopathology were associated with poorer functioning and subjective well-being, providing some validation. However, clinically relevant variation in post-TBI psychopathology may not readily reduce to a small number of qualitatively discrete categories.
