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Workers' risk of unemployment after traumatic brain injury: A normed comparison

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2005

J.N. DOCTOR ,
J. CASTRO ,
N.R. TEMKIN ,
R.T. FRASER ,
J.E. MACHAMER  and
S.S. DIKMEN
J.N. DOCTOR
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Education & Biomedical Informatics (MEBI), University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington
J. CASTRO
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Education & Biomedical Informatics (MEBI), University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
N.R. TEMKIN
Affiliation:
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington
R.T. FRASER
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle Washington
J.E. MACHAMER
Affiliation:
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
S.S. DIKMEN
Affiliation:
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
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Abstract

We examined, among those persons working preinjury, the risk of unemployment 1 year after traumatic brain injury (TBI) relative to expected risk of unemployment for the sample under a validated risk-adjusted econometric model of employment in the U.S. population. Results indicate that 42% of TBI cases were unemployed versus 9% expected, relative risk (RR) = 4.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) (4.12, 4.95). The relative risk for unemployment was higher among males, those with higher education, persons with more severe injuries, and more impaired early neuropsychological or functional status. Difference in unemployment rates gave similar results for gender, severity of injury, and early neuropsychological and functional status. However, for education, the excess was smaller among those more highly educated, but the unemployment rate in the more highly educated in the general population was sufficiently small to yield a larger relative risk. In conclusion, after accounting for underlying risk of unemployment in the general population, unemployment is substantially higher after TBI for people who were employed when they were injured. The differential employment status varies depending on demographics, severity of brain injury, early functional outcome, and neurobehavioral indicators. For characteristics such as education, associated with rates of unemployment in the general population, different methods used to compare the rates may yield different results. (JINS, 2005, 11, 747–752.)

Keywords

Closed head injuriesEmploymentUnemploymentVocational rehabilitationRisk factorsNeuropsychology.
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 11 , Issue 6 , October 2005 , pp. 747 - 752
Copyright
© 2005 The International Neuropsychological Society

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