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Abstract
Introduction Negative outcomes, including suicidal ideation/attempts, are a major public health concern, particularly among individuals who sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is associated with high rates of postinjury substance use, psychiatric disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep disturbances. This study examines the mediation effects of substance use, psychiatric disorder and sleep disorder on the associations between TBI and suicidal ideation/attempts.
Methods A matched case–control study using data from MarketScan databases for private health insurance and Medicaid from October 2015 to December 2018 estimated the association between TBI and suicidal ideation/attempts using a mediation approach. Individuals less than 65 years of age were included.
Results In the Medicaid sample, psychiatric disorders mediated 22.4% of the total effect between TBI and suicidal ideation/attempt, while substance use disorders other than opioid use disorder mediated 7.47%. In the private health insurance sample, psychiatric disorders mediated 3.97% of the total effect, opioid use disorders mediated 2.08% of the total effect and sleep disorder mediated 1.25% of the total effect.
Conclusions Mediators explained less than 30% of the relationship between TBI and suicidal ideation/attempt. Findings reinforce the importance of primary prevention of TBI and monitoring patients with a TBI for risk of suicide in the first 6–12 months following injury.
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Psychological
- Case-Control Study
Data availability statement
Data may be obtained from a third party and are not publicly available. Data are available through IBM MarketScan Research.
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Data availability statement
Data may be obtained from a third party and are not publicly available. Data are available through IBM MarketScan Research.
Footnotes
Contributors GM conceptualised the study, conducted the analysis, drafted the manuscript, and reviewed the final manuscript. HZ conceptualised the study, performed data analysis, and revised/reviewed the final manuscript. AP, ES, KH and M-JK drafted the manuscript and reviewed the final manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript as submitted.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Disclaimer The findings and conclusions in this manuscript are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Competing interests None declared.
Patient and public involvement Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of this research.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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