Brain injury rate high for young delinquents

Rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are extremely high among delinquent teens, according to a new study.

Brian Perron and Matthew Howard assessed the psychiatric symptoms, substance use history, and antisocial traits and behaviors of 720 juvenile offenders in Missouri Division of Youth Services facilities between March 1 and May 31, 2003. The researchers asked each participant about any history of a head injury severe enough to cause unconsciousness for more than 20 minutes.

Perron and Howard report that nearly one in five of the offenders reported suffering a TBI at some point, with males more likely to report a TBI than females. This compares to an estimated incidence of TBI in the general U.S. population of 180-250 per 100,000 and an estimated incidence of around 415 per 100,000 in adolescents and young adults. The researchers note that their findings are consistent with those of an earlier study (Craswell et al.) which used similar TBI criteria and found that 27.7 percent of delinquents had a history of TBI.

Perron and Howard say TBIs were associated with “wide ranging psychiatric dysfunction” in the offenders, including depressive and anxious symptoms, antisocial behavior, and substance abuse problems. Because the study did not identify the dates of participants’ TBIs, the researchers say it is not clear whether the injuries contributed to participants’ behavior problems or stemmed from them. However, they cite evidence linking even mild TBI to persistent memory deficits, neuropsychiatric impairments, and psychological or social problems.