A traumatic brain injury doubles your risk to die by suicide. The good news is suicide is a rare event. But those with a traumatic brain injury increase their risk for emotional problems, depression, memory impairment, concentration problems, headaches, dizziness and neck pain. The worse the brain injury the greater the risk of suicide. A sever TBI increased suicide risk was 2.4 times greater than those with no brain injury.
A large Denmark study that looked at 7.4 million people 10 years and older over a 34 year period found that 7.6% or 567,823 of these people had received treatment for a TBI (traumatic brain injury). The suicide rate was 20% for those without a TBI but a whopping 41% for those with a TBI.
This study wasn’t a controlled experiment. There are some limitations to the data gathered. It is also possible that people who suffer traumatic brain injury are more likely to be impulsive and engage in risky behaviors.
Even after the tissue damage heals, suffering a concussion can boost your risk of suicide #HealthStatus
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Key Points:
- 1Traumatic brain injury commonly impacts mood and can cause lasting physical symptoms.
- 2More severe brain injuries requiring more medical treatment saw the largest increase in suicide risk.
- 3Even mild brain injuries can increase the risk of suicide.
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