Caregiver Characteristics of Adults with Acute Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States and Latin America

Objectives: To compare characteristics of caregivers of adults with acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the U.S. and Latin America (Mexico and Colombia). Design: Secondary data analysis of two cohorts. Cohort 1: English-speaking caregivers of adults with TBI in the U.S. (n = 80). Cohort 2: Spanish-speaking caregivers of adults with TBI in Mexico or Colombia (n = 109). Results: Similarities between the U.S. and Latin American caregiver groups, respectively, were: predominantly women (81.3%, 81.7%, respectively); spouses/domestic partners (45%, 31.2%); and motor vehicle accident (41.5%, 48.6%) followed by fall etiologies (40%, 21.1%). Differences between U.S. and Latin American caregivers were: age (49.5 years, 41.5 years, p < 0.001); employment status ((X-5(2) = 59.63, p < 0.001), full-time employment (63.7%, 25.7%), homemaker (2.5%, 31.2%), and retired (17.5%, 1.8%)); violence-related etiology (2.5%, 15.6%); and severity of depressive symptoms (M = 7.9, SD = 5.8; M = 5.8, SD = 5.7; p = 0.014). Conclusions: TBI caregivers in the U.S. were older and employed full-time or retired more often than those in Latin America. Violence-related etiology was nearly five times more common in Latin America, raising concerns for potential implications of post-traumatic stress and family adjustment after injury. Although both groups likely could use mental health support, this was particularly true of the U.S. cohort, maybe due to differential demographics, mechanisms of injury, or family and community support.Data collection was supported by NIDILRR (grant numbers: Kessler 90DPTB0003; NTX-TBIMS 90DPTB0013; JFK 90DPTB0014) and Grant #R21TW009746 from the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health and in part by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Additional support for coauthors was provided by NIDILRR (grant numbers: Spaulding/Harvard TBIMS: 90DPTB0011; TIRR 90DPTB0016)

Source agreement among raters of preschool-age child behavior: The role of implicit norming

The purpose of the present research was (1) to examine the influence of implicit norming among raters of preschool age child behavior by providing multiple informants with an explicit normative reference on a measure of child aggression and (2) to assess agreement among sources using multiple levels of analysis. Preschool teachers, classroom assistants, and child parental figures first provided independent ratings of child externalizing, internalizing, and socially competent behavior. Next, they rated the aggressive behavior of a child presented in a video. Finally, participants were given an explicit normative reference on an aggression scale meant to correspond to the behavior of the child in the video; they were then asked to re-rate students/children as compared to this child in the video using the explicit norm. Teachers and assistants rated an ethnically diverse sample 148 children in nine Head Start classrooms; 38 parents provided ratings of their children. A clear pattern of agreement was observed among the three sources, with high correlations between teachers and assistants, moderate correlations between teachers and parents, and low correlations between assistants and parents. Parents consistently rated their children as more dysfunctional than did other sources. Child ethnicity and parent education predicted discrepancies between teacher and parent post-video ratings of aggression. Source-pair profile analyses revealed that the generalized distance, D2, between teacher and assistant profiles was significantly less than both the D2s between (1) teacher and parent profiles and (2) assistant and parent profiles; the profile level (or elevation) accounted for the greatest proportion of the distance between source profiles for all source pairings. Principal components analysis indicated strong agreement among the sources on the structural relations of externalizing, internalizing, and socially competent behavior. Rasch modeling procedures were used to assess agreement among sources on indicators of item-fit within each behavioral domain. Moderate agreement was observed within the externalizing domain of behavior; remarkably low agreement was observed within the internalizing and socially competent domains. These findings suggest that observed source agreement depends on the level of analysis and is influenced by item characteristics, the behavioral domain being assessed, rater and target characteristics, and situational demands. Researchers are encouraged to use item-selection procedures in scale development that will result in setting-specific and source-sensitive measures. Recommendations for future research assessing the role of implicit norming in source agreement are presented

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Arrest Probability Trajectories after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Model Systems Study

Background: Previous literature has documented racial/ethnic differences in traumatic brain injury (TBI) risk, cause, treatment, and rehabilitation. The purpose of the current study was to investigate potential racial/ethnic differences in arrest probability trajectories over the first 10 years after TBI and whether injury and sociodemographic characteristics accounted for these differences. Methods: The current study included 13,195 participants with moderate-to-severe TBI in the TBI Model Systems National Database who had arrest data from at least one follow-up time point (Years 1, 2, 5, and/or 10). A series of hierarchical linear models assessed racial/ethnic differences in trajectories of arrest probability over these 10 years post-injury and then included socio-demographic and injury-related covariates. Results: White individuals with TBI had lower arrest probability trajectories than Black and Native American individuals, and Asian individuals with TBI had lower arrest probability trajectories than White, Black, Latinx, and Native American persons. In many cases, racial/ethnic disparities persisted even when injury and sociodemographic characteristics were covaried. Conclusion: These results suggest that rehabilitation clinicians should assess for post-injury arrest risk factors such as age, sex, education, pre-injury unemployment, arrest history, and substance abuse, particularly in Black, Latinx, and Native American groups, and integrate programming to lessen post-injury arrest probability and improve overall rehabilitation outcomes

U.S. vs. Foreign Nativity and 10-Year Trajectories of Mental Health after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Model Systems Study

Background: Previous research has found racial and ethnic disparities in life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety after traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, limited studies have examined differences in these variables between U.S.- and foreign-born individuals with TBI. The purpose of this study was to examine whether differences exist in mental health outcomes between U.S.- and foreign-born individuals with TBI at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after injury, as well as examine whether demographic and injury-related characteristics account for these differences. Method: Participants were 8289 individuals with TBI who identified as U.S.-born and 944 who identified as born outside the U.S. in the TBI Model Systems study. Participants completed measures of mental health outcomes at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after injury. Results: Foreign-born individuals with TBI had comparable levels of depression and anxiety trajectories to U.S.-born individuals, yet higher life satisfaction trajectories, even after controlling for demographic and injury-related variables. Conclusion: Rehabilitation professionals should consider in their clinical work the mechanisms that likely influence mental health outcomes among foreign-born individuals, including family-based values that increase resilience, as well as the possible under-reporting of mental health symptoms along the lines of cultural norms

Perceived care partner burden at 1-year post-injury and associations with emotional awareness, functioning, and empathy after TBI: A TBI model systems study

Background: People with traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lack awareness of their own emotions and often have problems with emotion dysregulation, affective disorders, and empathy deficits. These impairments are known to impact psychosocial behaviors and may contribute to the burden experienced by care partners of individuals with TBI. Objective: To examine the associations of emotional awareness, emotional functioning, and empathy among participants with TBI with care partner burden. Method: This multisite, cross-sectional, observational study used data from 90 dyads (participants with TBI and their care partner) 1-year post-injury. Participants with TBI completed the Difficulty with Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS; Awareness, Clarity, Goals, Impulse, Nonacceptance, and Strategies subscales); PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version; NIH Toolbox Anger-Affect, Hostility and Aggression Subdomains; PHQ-9; GAD-7; and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (empathic concern and perspective taking subscales). Care partners completed the Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI) and provided demographic information. Results: Care partners were predominately female (77%), and most were either a spouse/partner (55.2%) or parent (34.4%). In an unadjusted model that included assessments of emotional awareness, emotional functioning, and empathy of the participant with TBI, the DERS-Awareness and NIH-Hostility subscales accounted for a significant amount of variance associated with care partner burden. These findings persisted after adjusting for care partner age, relationship, education, and the functional status of the participant with TBI (β= 0.493 and β= 0.328, respectively). Conclusion: These findings suggest that high levels of hostility and low emotional self-awareness can significantly affect the burden felt by TBI care partners

Using Machine Learning to Examine Suicidal Ideation After TBI: A TBI Model Systems National Database Study

Objective: The aim of the study was to predict suicidal ideation 1 yr after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Design: This study used a cross-sectional design with data collected through the prospective, longitudinal Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems network at hospitalization and 1 yr after injury. Participants who completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 suicide item at year 1 follow-up ( N = 4328) were included. Results: A gradient boosting machine algorithm demonstrated the best performance in predicting suicidal ideation 1 yr after traumatic brain injury. Predictors were Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items (except suicidality), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 items, and a measure of heavy drinking. Results of the 10-fold cross-validation gradient boosting machine analysis indicated excellent classification performance with an area under the curve of 0.882. Sensitivity was 0.85 and specificity was 0.77. Accuracy was 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.79). Feature importance analyses revealed that depressed mood and guilt were the most important predictors of suicidal ideation, followed by anhedonia, concentration difficulties, and psychomotor disturbance. Conclusions: Overall, depression symptoms were most predictive of suicidal ideation. Despite the limited clinical impact of the present findings, machine learning has potential to improve prediction of suicidal behavior, leveraging electronic health record data, to identify individuals at greatest risk, thereby facilitating intervention and optimization of long-term outcomes after traumatic brain injury