Traumatic Brain Injury Essay
Introduction
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States. Each year, traumatic brain injuries contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability. A TBI is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI may range from “mild,” i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to “severe,” i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. Every day, 138 people in the United States die from injuries that include TBI. Those who survive a TBI can face effects lasting a few days to disabilities which may last …show more content…
There is broad awareness that a brain injury like any other disability affects not only the injured individual but also their family members. Approximately 5.3 million Americans are living with a TBI-related disability, and the consequences of severe TBI can affect all aspects of an individual’s life. This can include relationships with family and friends, as well as the ability to work or be employed, do household tasks, drive, and/or participate in other activities of daily living.
Effects on society
The exclusion of persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) from the workforce has great financial and human costs. In a US study, the loss of wages, income taxes and public assistance expenses was estimated to be over a billion dollars only in the first year after injury. Concurrently, unemployed persons with TBI are prevented from establishing financial independence and denied other social benefits of being members of the labor market, while the strains on other family members and caregivers significantly increase. These facts are worrying when one considers the magnitude of the phenomenon.
TBI is a leading cause of death and disability throughout the world an estimated 10 million people annually, mostly young children and adolescents/young adults (15–24 years
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States. Each year, traumatic brain injuries contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability. A TBI is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI may range from “mild,” i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to “severe,” i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. Every day, 138 people in the United States die from injuries that include TBI. Those who survive a TBI can face effects lasting a few days to disabilities which may last …show more content…
There is broad awareness that a brain injury like any other disability affects not only the injured individual but also their family members. Approximately 5.3 million Americans are living with a TBI-related disability, and the consequences of severe TBI can affect all aspects of an individual’s life. This can include relationships with family and friends, as well as the ability to work or be employed, do household tasks, drive, and/or participate in other activities of daily living.
Effects on society
The exclusion of persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) from the workforce has great financial and human costs. In a US study, the loss of wages, income taxes and public assistance expenses was estimated to be over a billion dollars only in the first year after injury. Concurrently, unemployed persons with TBI are prevented from establishing financial independence and denied other social benefits of being members of the labor market, while the strains on other family members and caregivers significantly increase. These facts are worrying when one considers the magnitude of the phenomenon.
TBI is a leading cause of death and disability throughout the world an estimated 10 million people annually, mostly young children and adolescents/young adults (15–24 years