Study finds almost half of homeless men had traumatic brain injury in their lifetime,

[redqueen]

vast majority before they lost their homes

Almost half of all homeless men who took part in a study by St. Michael’s Hospital had suffered at least one traumatic brain injury in their life and 87 per cent of those injuries occurred before the men lost their homes.

While assaults were a major cause of those traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, (60 per cent) many were caused by potentially non-violent mechanisms such as sports and recreation (44 per cent) and motor vehicle collisions and falls (42 per cent).

The study, led by Dr. Jane Topolovec-Vranic, a clinical researcher in the hospital’s Neuroscience Research Program, was published today in the journal CMAJ Open.

Dr. Topolovec-Vranic said it’s important for health care providers and others who work with homeless people to be aware of any history of TBI because of the links between such injuries and mental health issues, substance abuse, seizures and general poorer physical health.

...

http://www.stmichaelshospital.com/media/detail.php?source=hospital_news/2014/20140425_hn

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. This is such an important piece of news. Why hasn't it been widely reported? This explains a huge

percentage of the homeless population.

[2pooped2pop]

2. they said the same exact thing about juvenile delinquents

I'll be more interested when they are able to show actual damage to the brain rather than a claim of some kind of head trauma. I think a very large percentage of the population would answer yes to having had some kind of head trauma at some time in their lives. Sports, auto accidents, falls. Really how many of us has not hit our head?

[Sarah Ibarruri]

5. We all have hit our heads, but just how sensitive is the brain to these trauma, and when do these

affect personality and when don't they, and do they affect everyone in an identical manner, and whom do they affect?

The husband of a friend of mine was on a motorcycle some days ago, fell off it, and (though wearing a helmet) was injured. He seemed to be fine, then ended up in the hospital with a brain bleed. He had thought he was fine. Now he's got a headache, the blood is there, and I'm wondering, is that affecting the brain now, and how is it affecting it? Blood vessels? Cells? What about in a year? What about in 5 years?

[riverbendviewgal]

3. this isna great and caring hospital

With world great surgeons and staff.

[mopinko]

4. seizures

i recently learned, the painful way, that seizures can mimic some axis one symptoms, and cause the mental health box checkers to misdiagnose people.

people have hallucination, paranoia, and the anxiety of living with an unreliable brain. a lot of people grow up that way, and think it is normal. that they are just fucked up, fucked over by their mothers, or the man, or whatever. that a shifting reality is just reality.

the pain this has caused in my family is so excruciating. so wasteful. perfectly treatable problems just missed. over and over.

now times how man homeless people just here in chicago?
what a staggering waste of human capital.
what an ocean of needless pain.

aaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggghghghghghghghhhhhhh

[japple]

6. Why isn't the media all over this? Because the study is about homeless men. No

one wants to hear about homeless people when there are so many interesting stories about the Kardashians, Justin Beeber, and other out-of-control celebrities/sports club owners/renegade ranchers/missing airlines.








Note: One can never post too many sarcasm smilies. There will always be one sad soul who will take everything to a personal level. I have learned this the hard way.

[mountain grammy]

7. It always comes down to lack of access to health care and so many untreated

treatable conditions people are walking around with, including TBI's and the PTSD that often accompanies it.

[chknltl]

8. Indeed! There but for the grace of....

Back in 1972 or 1973 I suffered from a pretty good hit to the head, knocked me out for a full 24 hrs. and I had to endure nightmarishly excruciating migraines starting from the moment I came to and then far too often for decades afterwards. The Veterans Administration recently determined that I have mental issues, I believe stemming directly back to that incident. The VA never said exactly why, just that my condition is as they call it "Service Connected". That incident did indeed happen while I was serving in the Army. This study appears to confirm something I have lately wondered about. There is absolutely no doubt that if not for the resultant pension I currently receive from the VA I too would be homeless.
If any here have ever wondered about my sig line below, now you understand the reason behind my gratitude.

In case you were unaware of this tragic phenomenon: Veterans are committing suicide at an astonishingly appalling rate: http://time.com/304/report-suicide-rate-soars-among-young-vets/

furthermore I have read that although declining in numbers recently, far too high a number of our vets remain homeless. http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/12036/the-great-american-tragedy-homelessness-among-our-veterans/

So yes, we as a society can and must find a way to do better by our vets.
From me to you: Thanks again.

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. kick