Return to productivity after rehabilitation by walking patients, traumatic brain injury survivors

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors are frequently independent regarding daily life activities, but often face limitations concerning community participation or productive work. This study aimed at determining the rate of return to productivity (studying or working) of subjects having suffered TBI. Sixty walking TBI patients (mean age 30.4, range 18 to 53 years old) were selected by chart review of TBI patients who attended a rehabilitation program between 2002 and 2004 in AACD, São Paulo, and were interviewed to answer a questionnaire. Participants - 51 men, 9 women - had mostly (95%) undergone severe trauma. Results show that 71.7% of the patients returned to productivity (but only 38.3% were effectively working at the time of the interview). Though with no statistical significance, the time lag between the trauma and the onset of rehabilitation seems to be associated to social adjustment. The educational level previous to the trauma was shown to influence return to productivity, reached by a good part of TBI survivors.