Traumatic brain injury may cause anxiety down the road

Traumatic brain injuries can easily occur as a result of car accidents or other accidents in Texas, such as slip-and-fall accidents. This type of injury occurs when an external force damages the brain. Traumatic brain injury can affect people of all ages, although children in particular might experience psychological effects from such an injury, such as depression, anxiety and phobias, one decade later.

According to a recent study, injury to the brain is related to anxiety symptoms long term. This is contrary to what was thought previously — that injury to the brain leads only to short-term impacts. The anxiety associated with brain injury has multiple causes, such as brain damage or living in a family environment characterized by anxiety following the injury.

Based on the recent research, children who have brain injuries that are moderately severe are most at risk for long-lasting psychological effects compared with children with milder brain injuries. In addition, the risk is greater for girls than it is for boys. Further research is necessary to completely understand the long-term effects that victims of traumatic brain injury face during their childhood.

Unfortunately, traumatic brain injury can be life altering, causing its victims to suffer from memory problems or sensory issues for years following the injury-causing incident, for example. If the incident was the result of another party’s carelessness, the victim may choose to file a personal injury claim against this party, seeking damages. A successfully litigated suit in Texas may lead to a monetary damage award that may help with addressing ongoing medical costs and other related expenses.

Source: reuters.com, “Childhood brain injury tied to adult anxiety, depression“, Madeline Kennedy, June 7, 2017