Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Head injury leads to higher death rate among younger individuals
By Staff Writer
New research has revealed that head trauma victims might have a shorter lifespan due to their injury.
In a recent study, which appears in the Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry, a research team analyzed more than 2,000 individuals. Of this population, 757 people had suffered a head injury and were admitted to one of five Scottish hospitals between 1995 and 1996.
The researchers found that 40 percent of the head trauma patients died within 13 years of receiving their injury. In addition, the risk of death was highest in the year following the injury and persisted for at least 12 years.
According to the research, the annual rate of death from all causes for individuals with head injuries was almost 31 per 1,000 people. For those who did not suffer from this trauma, the rate was just under 14 per 1,000.
Younger individuals and those with more serious head injuries were most likely to die, according to the research. Lifestyle choices were also said to affect one's survival rate.
Researchers could not identify an explanation for the higher death rates among younger individuals. However, as head injuries are responsible for most trauma deaths among young adults, this population may want to seek residential treatment for their condition.
