Minor head injury can increase chance of psychiatric problems
- Aug 24, 2016
- EmmaArnold
A new study has found people who have suffered even a mild traumatic head injury are at greater risk of psychiatric problems and early death.
Researchers studied more than a million people born since 1973 in Sweden to see how head injuries impacted their lives in the decades which followed.
Those who had suffered a mild traumatic brain injury which left them feeling dazed or confused were 91% more likely to have had psychiatric problems.
The researchers from University of Oxford and Imperial College also found they were 55% more likely to have done less well in education and 52% more likely to have needed disability benefit.
Amber Mitchell, Solicitor at PotterReesDolan, said:
This study makes for fascinating, if not slightly terrifying, reading. No doubt most of us have ourselves or know someone who has had what seemed to be a fairly ‘minor’ knock to the head which they’ve not really thought about further.
Many of those people will not have suffered any long term effects but this article highlights the importance of being aware of the potential damage that even a relatively minor head injury can do.
If you have or know someone who suffers a head injury then it is a good idea to seek medical attention and, subsequently, stay alert for symptoms which might indicate an ongoing problem such as the more obvious symptoms like dizziness, nausea, head pain but also symptoms you might not necessarily associate with a head injury such as increased tiredness, irritability, low mood, personality change and loss of concentration.
If you do notice these ongoing issues then speak to your doctor and discuss whether further investigations are appropriate.