Traumatic brain injury and co-occurring problems in prison populations: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of epidemiological research suggests high rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in prisoners. The aim of this review is to systematically explore the literature surrounding the rates of TBI and their co-occurrences in a prison population. METHODS: Six electronic databases were systematically searched for articles published between 1980-2014. Studies were screened for inclusion based on pre-determined criteria by two researchers who independently performed data extraction. Study quality was appraised based on a modified quality assessment tool. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies were included in this review. Quality assessment ranged from 20% (poor) to 80% (good), with an overall average of 60%. Twenty-four papers included TBI prevalence rates, which ranged from 5.69-88%. Seventeen studies explored co-occurring factors including rates of aggression (n = 7), substance abuse (n = 9), anxiety and depression (n = 5), neurocognitive deficits (n = 4) and psychiatric conditions (n = 3). CONCLUSIONS: The high degree of variation in TBI rates may be attributed to the inconsistent way in which TBI was measured, with only seven studies using valid and reliable screening tools. Additionally, gaps in the literature surrounding personality outcomes in prisoners with TBI, female prisoners with TBI and qualitative outcomes were found

Scoping Review of Interventions to Promote Social Participation in Adolescents and Young Adults with Neurodisability

Background: Social participation, described as taking part in, being involvement and engaged with, and doing or being with others, is an important health outcome. Adolescents and young adults with neurodisability are often restricted in their social participation, particularly if they experience social and executive functioning challenges. A scoping review was conducted to examine interventions aimed at improving social participation in adolescents and young adults with neurodisability characterized by these challenges. Method: The scoping review included peer-reviewed empirical studies published from 1990 to 2016 that employed psychosocial interventions to improve social participation in young people 13 to 24 years of age with acquired brain injuries, autism spectrum disorders, and attention deficit disorders. Results: Narrative synthesis of 32 included studies highlighted significant variation in both the definition and measurement of social participation outcomes. The lack of RCT studies with large samples was noted, with almost a third of the studies including fewer than 10 participants. The two dominant types of intervention were peer mentoring and social skills training. Conclusion: There is a lack of rigorously tested interventions that specifically address social participation challenges for individuals with neurodisability. Future research will need to be clearer in how social participation is conceptualized and operationalized to allow for improved measurement and comparison between studies