Although substantial information exists about factors related to who
returns to work and time taken to return to work after traumatic brain
injury (TBI), less is known about the stability of the work experience
after the injury. One hundred sixty-five workers with complicated mild to
severe traumatic brain injury were followed for 3 to 5 years postinjury.
Work stability definitions included amount of time worked (amount of time
worked divided by time observed postinjury) and maintenance of
uninterrupted employment once a person returned to work. Amount of time
worked was significantly and systematically related to brain injury
severity, neuropsychological functioning at 1-month postinjury, and
preinjury characteristics such as prior work stability and earnings.
However, once persons returned to work, the ability to maintain
uninterrupted employment was largely related to premorbid characteristics
such as being older, higher income before the injury, or a preinjury job
with benefits. It was also related to higher neuropsychological
functioning at 1-month postinjury (reflecting the combined effects of
premorbid functioning and traumatic brain injury severity), but not
related to neurologic indices of severity. (JINS, 2005,
11, 807–816.)