Canadians with traumatic brain injuries more likely to go to prison

That doesn’t surprise Dr. Geoffrey Manley, a neurosurgeon who runs a trauma centre. He knows all too well the long-term struggles of survivors of traumatic brain injuries.

For 13 years, researchers followed more than 1.4 million people who were eligible for health care in Ontario and were between the ages of 18 and 28 in 1997.

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can result from a concussion, skull fracture or bleeding inside the skull.

It excluded prisoners detained in Canadian provincial jails as well as those who suffered mild traumatic brain injuries.

Perfect storm to for people to fall off the rails

Manley, who is also a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, suspects that half of those who suffer trauma to the brain never seek medical care and their injuries therefore go undetected and unconsidered in studies.

Six months after suffering a TBI, many patients still feel depressed and anxious and some struggle with aggression and substance abuse, Manley said.

Matheson pointed out that her study shows an association, not a causal relationship, between TBIs and incarceration. More research is needed to determine how the injuries and imprisonment connect, she said.

Manley attributes the increase to greater awareness about concussions in sports but said brain injuries are just as likely to occur as a result of slips and falls.

Matheson called for more screening for TBI in prisoners and said correctional programs should recognize that people with brain injuries may have memory lapses and trouble sitting still.

Manley stressed the need for increased awareness about the potential for debilitating long-term fallout from traumatic brain injuries.

“There’s probably a huge hidden cost to society here, not to mention the cost to individuals and their families,” he said.