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February 5, 2008

Treating Traumatic Brain Injury Can Help Mental Health Issues

A recent Wall Street Journal article (HIDDEN TRAUMA - Studies Cite Head Injuries as Factor in Some Social Ills, 1/29/08) put us on notice to look carefully at those suffering from disorders of the brain, including depression, learning disabilities and anxiety. The full article and a video is available here.

"What's new is the contention of some researchers that there are many other cases where a severe past blow to the head, resulting in unconsciousness or confusion, is the unrecognized source of such problems.”Unidentified traumatic brain injury is an unrecognized major source of social and vocational failure," says Wayne A. Gordon, director of the Brain Injury Research Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where much of the research is being done.

Research by his team has consistently found high rates of "hidden" head trauma when screening various populations in New York schools, addiction programs and the general population. The CDC acknowledges its 5.3 million estimate is an undercount based on hospital admissions; it doesn't include people who sought no treatment for a severe blow to the head or who were sent home from a doctor's office or emergency room with little treatment."

Resource: For more information brain injuries contact Acquired Brain Injury Network of Pennsylvania; Inc. www.abin-pa.org. The website offers a free monthly newsletter, support groups and resources. Phone: 215-699-2139. Email: info@abin-pa.org.