Trajectories of life satisfaction in the first 5 years following traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
The trajectories of life satisfaction for 609 individuals who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) were studied. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis examined individual level growth trends over the first 5 years following TBI using gender, functional independence, age, and time to estimate life satisfaction trajectories.


METHODS
Participants completed the Functional Independence Measure and the Life Satisfaction Inventory at years 1, 2, 4, and 5 after sustaining TBI.


RESULTS
Participants who reported higher functional independence at year 1 also had higher life satisfaction at year 1. Participants with lower functional independence across the 5-year period had life satisfaction trajectories that decreased at significantly greater rates than the individuals with more functional independence. The life satisfaction trajectory declined for the sample, but participants reporting lower cognitive and motor functional independence had significantly greater declines in life satisfaction trajectories. Age and gender were not significant factors in predicting life satisfaction trajectories following TBI.


CONCLUSIONS
Individuals with greater cognitive and motor impairments following TBI are likely to experience significant declines in life satisfaction within 5 years of living with TBI.
Resch
J Aaron
JA
Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA.
Villarreal
Victor
V
Johnson
Caitlin L
CL
Elliott
Timothy R
TR
Kwok
Oi-Man
OM
Berry
Jack W
JW
Underhill
Andrea T
AT
D015998:Abbreviated Injury Scale; D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D020208:Brain Injury, Chronic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012803:Sick Role; D055815:Young Adult