How a Head Injury Can Affect Your Mental Health

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Why Head Injuries Impact Mental Health

Coping with TBI-Related Mental Health Issues

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Suffering from a head injuryis a terrible experience, and unfortunately, our brains don’t always heal from head injuries the same way other body parts heal from trauma.

Breaking a limb might be painful, but once a doctor has set it and provided proper care instructions, chances are that your broken bone will recover. Heads and brains, though, are a bit different, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the leading cause of disability and mortality for people ages 1 to 45.

For people who undergo and survive a traumatic brain injury, statistically, there is a 60% chance of making a full recovery and a 25% chance of being left with a “moderate degree” ofdisability.Those disabilities include a range of cognitive and behavioral challenges. Those are pretty significant statistics, so it’s important to understand as much as possible about the problems that head injuries can lead to.

Ahead, we’ll unpack the reasons behind head injuries having such an impact onmental health, what problems TBIs can lead to, and how to get the help you need for ongoing issues.

Why Can Traumatic Brain Injuries Lead to Mental Health Issues?

In cases of mild head injury, 1 in 5 people experience mental health problems afterward,and psychiatric disorders following traumatic brain injuries are scientifically considered “frequent.”

TBIs can lead to mental health issues because your brain is responsible, more than any other part of you, for your behavior and your thinking and feeling abilities.

Once injured, the brain may not be able to return to the same level of functioning as it was before.

Mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, while they can be related to other body parts such as our guts,primarily stem from our brains, and other problems, likeexecutive dysfunction, are wholly associated with the brain.

The Mental Health Problems Head Injuries Can Lead to

Because our brains affect so much about our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, there are a wide variety of mental health issues that TBIs can lead to. These are the most common ones, and there is some overlap between them.

PTSD

Head injuries are more likely to lead topost-traumatic stress disorderthan other bodily injuries.While any injury can be traumatic enough to change our behavior afterward, it is particularly common for PTSD to occur after head injuries.

According to the DSM-5-TR, these are the main symptoms of PTSD:

PTSD can be a short experience lasting only days or weeks (as inAcute Stress Disorder), or it can go on for months or years. Symptoms can be immediate or can have adelayed onset.

Depression

Head injury leads to a significantly increased risk of experiencingdepression.About half of all people who get a head injury will experience depression in the year after their injury.

There are many symptoms of depression, but these are some of the most common ones:

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Anxiety

It’s also worth noting that anxiety, like PTSD and depression, may not present immediately after the injury but rather can appear months later. These are some common symptoms of anxiety:

Mood Swings and Lack of Emotional Regulation

Mood swingsand the inability to regulate emotions are believed to occur after head injuries because the injury can damage the parts of the brain that control behavior and emotional regulation.Aninabilityto regulate one’s emotions is calledmood labilityoremotional dysregulation.

These are some of the symptoms of mood swings and lack of emotional regulation:

Aggression

Behaving aggressivelyis a common occurrence after a head injury. Of those who experience aggressive behaviors after a TBI, about one quarter are verbally aggressive only,and that is the most likely form of aggression for a TBI patient to express.

Aggressive behavior is likely not the TBI patient’s choice or intention but the result of an inability to control emotions or behavior due to brain damage. Between 11% and 34% of TBI patients will exhibit aggressive behavior after their injury.

Insomnia

Insomniais a common occurrence in people who have suffered from a traumatic brain injury. Over 60% of people who experience a TBI have mild insomnia short term, which often resolves over time. Some people are left with long term insomnia. Insomnia is an inability to fall or stay asleep.

Cognition and Executive Function

Possibly the most straightforward of all TBI-related mental health issues is how it can impact cognition and your ability to perform everyday tasks. Long lasting, if not lifelong, cognitive deficits are frequent after head injury.

Cognitive impairments occur from damage to the brain structures responsible forexecutive functioning, such as thinking, perception, language, problem-solving, decision-making, moral reasoning, etc. This also includesmemory, the ability to perform tasks, move from one task to another, and pay attention.

How to Deal With TBI-Related Mental Health Issues

As you can see, there are many different mental health issues that head injuries can cause. The best thing you can do if you have experienced a TBI is to continue following the care instructions from your provider.

If you have been told that you should be OK on your own, but you continue to experience mental health symptoms, you can either return to your previous provider or find a new one.

Final Thoughts

Traumatic brain injuries from open or closed head injuries range in seriousness from a mild concussion to a brain bleed to damaged brain tissue. No matter the cause, all head injuries can have varying degrees of consequences for one’s well-being. If you have recently experienced a head injury and you have not yet seen a doctor, you should take that step without delay.

What Is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)?

13 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ahmed S, Venigalla H, Mekala HM, Dar S, Hassan M, Ayub S.Traumatic brain injury and neuropsychiatric complications.Indian J Psychol Med. 2017;39(2):114–121. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.203129Agarwal N, Than RT.Traumatic brain injury – causes, symptoms and treatments.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.National Institutes of Health.Mental health disorders common following mild head injury - NIH-funded study identifies risk factors for neuropsychiatric conditions after concussion.Published online 2019.Schwarzbold M, Diaz A, Martins ET, et al.Psychiatric disorders and traumatic brain injury.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2008;4(4):797–816.Clapp M, Aurora N, Herrera L, Bhatia M, Wilen E, Wakefield S.Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis.Clin Pract. 2017;7(4):987. doi:10.4081%2Fcp.2017.987Stein MB, Jain S, Giacino JT, et al.Risk of posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression in civilian patients after mild traumatic brain injury: A track-TBI study.JAMA Psychiatry. 2019;76(3):249-258.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR); 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787Fann J, Hart T.Depression after traumatic brain injury.Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center.Barker-Collo S, Theadom A, Jones K, Starkey N, Kahan M, Feigin V.Depression and anxiety across the first 4 years after mild traumatic brain injury: Findings from a community-based study. Brain Inj. 2018;32(13–14):1651–1658. doi:10.1080/02699052.2018.1540797Fann J, Hart T.Emotional problems after traumatic brain injury.Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center.Rao V, Rosenberg P, Bertrand M, et al.Aggression after traumatic brain injury: Prevalence and correlates.JNP. 2009;21(4):420-429. doi:10.1176%2Fappi.neuropsych.21.4.420Wickwire EM, Albrecht JS, Capaldi VF, et al.Trajectories of insomnia in adults after traumatic brain injury.JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(1). doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.45310Cristofori I, Levin HS.Traumatic brain injury and cognition. In:Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Vol 128. Elsevier; 2015:579-611. doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-63521-1.00037-6

13 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ahmed S, Venigalla H, Mekala HM, Dar S, Hassan M, Ayub S.Traumatic brain injury and neuropsychiatric complications.Indian J Psychol Med. 2017;39(2):114–121. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.203129Agarwal N, Than RT.Traumatic brain injury – causes, symptoms and treatments.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.National Institutes of Health.Mental health disorders common following mild head injury - NIH-funded study identifies risk factors for neuropsychiatric conditions after concussion.Published online 2019.Schwarzbold M, Diaz A, Martins ET, et al.Psychiatric disorders and traumatic brain injury.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2008;4(4):797–816.Clapp M, Aurora N, Herrera L, Bhatia M, Wilen E, Wakefield S.Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis.Clin Pract. 2017;7(4):987. doi:10.4081%2Fcp.2017.987Stein MB, Jain S, Giacino JT, et al.Risk of posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression in civilian patients after mild traumatic brain injury: A track-TBI study.JAMA Psychiatry. 2019;76(3):249-258.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR); 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787Fann J, Hart T.Depression after traumatic brain injury.Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center.Barker-Collo S, Theadom A, Jones K, Starkey N, Kahan M, Feigin V.Depression and anxiety across the first 4 years after mild traumatic brain injury: Findings from a community-based study. Brain Inj. 2018;32(13–14):1651–1658. doi:10.1080/02699052.2018.1540797Fann J, Hart T.Emotional problems after traumatic brain injury.Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center.Rao V, Rosenberg P, Bertrand M, et al.Aggression after traumatic brain injury: Prevalence and correlates.JNP. 2009;21(4):420-429. doi:10.1176%2Fappi.neuropsych.21.4.420Wickwire EM, Albrecht JS, Capaldi VF, et al.Trajectories of insomnia in adults after traumatic brain injury.JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(1). doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.45310Cristofori I, Levin HS.Traumatic brain injury and cognition. In:Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Vol 128. Elsevier; 2015:579-611. doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-63521-1.00037-6

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Ahmed S, Venigalla H, Mekala HM, Dar S, Hassan M, Ayub S.Traumatic brain injury and neuropsychiatric complications.Indian J Psychol Med. 2017;39(2):114–121. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.203129Agarwal N, Than RT.Traumatic brain injury – causes, symptoms and treatments.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.National Institutes of Health.Mental health disorders common following mild head injury - NIH-funded study identifies risk factors for neuropsychiatric conditions after concussion.Published online 2019.Schwarzbold M, Diaz A, Martins ET, et al.Psychiatric disorders and traumatic brain injury.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2008;4(4):797–816.Clapp M, Aurora N, Herrera L, Bhatia M, Wilen E, Wakefield S.Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis.Clin Pract. 2017;7(4):987. doi:10.4081%2Fcp.2017.987Stein MB, Jain S, Giacino JT, et al.Risk of posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression in civilian patients after mild traumatic brain injury: A track-TBI study.JAMA Psychiatry. 2019;76(3):249-258.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR); 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787Fann J, Hart T.Depression after traumatic brain injury.Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center.Barker-Collo S, Theadom A, Jones K, Starkey N, Kahan M, Feigin V.Depression and anxiety across the first 4 years after mild traumatic brain injury: Findings from a community-based study. Brain Inj. 2018;32(13–14):1651–1658. doi:10.1080/02699052.2018.1540797Fann J, Hart T.Emotional problems after traumatic brain injury.Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center.Rao V, Rosenberg P, Bertrand M, et al.Aggression after traumatic brain injury: Prevalence and correlates.JNP. 2009;21(4):420-429. doi:10.1176%2Fappi.neuropsych.21.4.420Wickwire EM, Albrecht JS, Capaldi VF, et al.Trajectories of insomnia in adults after traumatic brain injury.JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(1). doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.45310Cristofori I, Levin HS.Traumatic brain injury and cognition. In:Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Vol 128. Elsevier; 2015:579-611. doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-63521-1.00037-6

Ahmed S, Venigalla H, Mekala HM, Dar S, Hassan M, Ayub S.Traumatic brain injury and neuropsychiatric complications.Indian J Psychol Med. 2017;39(2):114–121. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.203129

Agarwal N, Than RT.Traumatic brain injury – causes, symptoms and treatments.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

National Institutes of Health.Mental health disorders common following mild head injury - NIH-funded study identifies risk factors for neuropsychiatric conditions after concussion.Published online 2019.

Schwarzbold M, Diaz A, Martins ET, et al.Psychiatric disorders and traumatic brain injury.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2008;4(4):797–816.

Clapp M, Aurora N, Herrera L, Bhatia M, Wilen E, Wakefield S.Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis.Clin Pract. 2017;7(4):987. doi:10.4081%2Fcp.2017.987

Stein MB, Jain S, Giacino JT, et al.Risk of posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression in civilian patients after mild traumatic brain injury: A track-TBI study.JAMA Psychiatry. 2019;76(3):249-258.

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR); 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787

Fann J, Hart T.Depression after traumatic brain injury.Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center.

Barker-Collo S, Theadom A, Jones K, Starkey N, Kahan M, Feigin V.Depression and anxiety across the first 4 years after mild traumatic brain injury: Findings from a community-based study. Brain Inj. 2018;32(13–14):1651–1658. doi:10.1080/02699052.2018.1540797

Fann J, Hart T.Emotional problems after traumatic brain injury.Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center.

Rao V, Rosenberg P, Bertrand M, et al.Aggression after traumatic brain injury: Prevalence and correlates.JNP. 2009;21(4):420-429. doi:10.1176%2Fappi.neuropsych.21.4.420

Wickwire EM, Albrecht JS, Capaldi VF, et al.Trajectories of insomnia in adults after traumatic brain injury.JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(1). doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.45310

Cristofori I, Levin HS.Traumatic brain injury and cognition. In:Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Vol 128. Elsevier; 2015:579-611. doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-63521-1.00037-6

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