The prevalence of traumatic brain injury in the homeless community in a UK city

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: The main aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of traumatic brain injury in a sample of homeless individuals. RESEARCH DESIGN: The researchers employed a cross-sectional survey design and contacted 12 organizations providing services for homeless individuals across a city in the UK. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The sample included 100 homeless participants (75 males and 25 females) who met the inclusion criteria. A matched control group (n = 100) of individuals who were not homeless was also recruited. A questionnaire was administered to all participants to elicit information relating to history of possible traumatic brain injury. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Results indicated that a significantly higher number of homeless participants (48%) reported a history of traumatic brain injury than control participants (21%). Of those homeless participants, 90% indicated they had sustained their first traumatic brain injury before they were homeless. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that rates of traumatic brain injury are much higher among the homeless population than in the general population and that sustaining a traumatic brain injury may be a risk factor for homelessness.