Complaints following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) and the role of Coping

Background and aims: Although most mTBI patients recover fully, a minority has long-lasting complaints that interfere with resumption of previous activities. Experiencing substantial complaints early after trauma is commonly viewed as a precursor of a worse recovery. We hypothesized that coping plays a role in recovery and that patients with more complaints have less adequate coping strategies. Results: The questionnaires were completed by 788 patients (mean age of 39.9 (15.7) years, range 16-65) and GCS scores ranging from 13-15). At two weeks post trauma 53% of all patients reported having complaints. The most frequently reported complaints were headache, dizziness and increased fatigability. Patients with complaints were characterized by a significantly higher use of an inadequate passive coping style (t(672)= -3.7, p<.001), when compared to the patients without complaints. Methods: Multicenter prospective cohort study of mTBI patients admitted to the Emergency Department. Patients received a baseline questionnaire at two weeks post trauma covering complaints and coping styles. Having complaints was defined as reporting three or more complaints (with at least one in the cognitive- or social emotional domain). Coping profiles were divided in passive versus active coping styles. Conclusions: Early reporting of complaints has been viewed as a precursor of worse recovery following mTBI. Patients with complaints have a higher tendency of using passive coping styles which could be related to the development of long-lasting complaints. We conclude that coping style is an area of particular interest when it comes to the development of intervention strategies aimed at the prevention of long-lasting complaints following mTBI.