Saving Youth From Traumatic Brain Injury

Introduction

The traumatic brain injury is referred to non-degenerative and non-congenital impact on the brain due to external mechanical force. This leads to permanent or temporary impairment of physical, cognitive and psychosocial functions along with causes altered state or associated diminished state of consciousness among individuals. The presence of traumatic brain injury among the youth has become one of the leading causes of untimely death and disability among them. This is because injury in the brain results in oxygen storage for the surrounding cells which initiates to get damaged and die leading to death and disability among individuals (Turner et al., 2020). In this study, the way youth traumatic brain injury is to be saved is to be discussed.

Background

In the England and Wales, it is reported that nearly 1.4 million cases of traumatic brain injury are attended in the hospital each year and it is one of the common causes for death among the youth and people below the age of 40 years (Lawrence et al., 2016). This indicates that traumatic brain injury causes deteriorated impact on the health of the youth compared to the older people. However, there is lack of holistic concept regarding the way the youth can be saved from the fatal consequences of the head injury. Therefore, it highlights that explanation regarding the way youth could be saved from a traumatic brain injury is to be focused to promote their well-being.

Rationale of the Study

The traumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered as the leading problem among the youth and it is silent epidemic as the TBI often considered as mild and not being a prevalent health issue that requires effective attention. However, in the UK, it is reported that the prevalence of TBI is more among the youth compared to the presence of other neurodevelopmental disorder. This is evident as 0.6-1.2 % of youth are affected by autism-specific disorder, 2-4% youth affected by learning disability, 10% of youth by dyslexia and 1.7-9% of youth by attention deficit hyperactive disorder whereas 24-31.6% of the youth are found to be suffering from traumatic brain injury (nasen, 2019). Thus, it indicates that TBI is frequent among the young population in the UK compared to other neurodevelopment disorder that is more intricately managed. It is mentioned that TBI occurs among youth primarily from the fights, road accident, fall during sport activities and infection (NICE, 2019). The young male and female are found to be equally affected by traumatic brain injury, but it is seen that men are more vulnerable to face TBI compared to female in their youth. This is mainly due to the rough and risky lifestyle adopted by the men in the youth compared to the women (nasen, 2019). The presence of TBI among the youth in the UK has become an issue because it has the potential to cause them memory loss, develop decreased awareness of their personal emotion, develop poor impulse, hindered social judgement and others (Lambregts et al., 2018). This is because the early damage to the hippocampus area of the temporal lobe of brain that is responsible in storing memory during TBI in youth results the young people unable to process new memories at an early stage. This in turn leads them to develop confusion and anxiety with growing age out of hindered memorising ability which are harmful for their emotional and mental health and well-being (Vavilala et al., 2018). Moreover, TBI in youth is a key issue because it is responsible in causing them early depression. This is evident as feeling of frustration, sadness and loss are developed in TBI youth as common problem which in the long-term remaining unresolved interferes with the trauma recovery of the youth in turn leading them to develop depression (Turner et al., 2020). The TBI has currently become a health issue because it is considered to promote early criminal activities. It is evident as global data from Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, UK and others mentions that youth in the custody for offence show 3-8 times greater presence of TBI compared to the non-offenders (t2a.org.uk, 2019). Moreover, in the UK, it is seen that youth in the UK are getting involved in sports such as rugby, football, hockey, netball and others. The increased involvement in sports are responsible to raise chances of TBI among the youth as they are played in risky manner and mostly without training (t2a.org.uk, 2019). Therefore, effective discussion regarding the way youth in the UK can be saved from TBI is to be discussed so that they can be allowed to lead a better live and involve in sport activities without fear of facing brain injury. Moreover, the discussion is required so that better emotional and physical health of the youth can be promoted by avoiding TBI.

Research Aim

The aim of the study is to be determine the way and interventions to save traumatic brain injury of the youth.

Research Question

What are the existing interventions and ways to save youth from traumatic brain injury?

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References

Lambregts, S.A., Smetsers, J.E., Verhoeven, I.M., de Kloet, A.J., van de Port, I.G., Ribbers, G.M. and Catsman-Berrevoets, C.E., 2018. Cognitive function and participation in children and youth with mild traumatic brain injury two years after injury. Brain injury, 32(2), pp.230-241.

Lawrence, T., Helmy, A., Bouamra, O., Woodford, M., Lecky, F. and Hutchinson, P.J., 2016. Traumatic brain injury in England and Wales: prospective audit of epidemiology, complications and standardised mortality. BMJ open, 6(11).pp.1-20.

nasen 2019, Childhood Acquired Brain Injury: The hidden disability, Available at: https://nasen.org.uk/uploads/assets/f244438d-1dd2-4eaf-a5548b0ba83b3944/ABIminiguideWEB.pdf [Accessed on: 12 December 2020]

NICE 2014, Head injury: triage, assessment, investigation and early management of head injury in children, young people and adults, Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg176/resources/costing-report-pdf-191714653 [Accessed on: 12 December 2020]

t2a.org.uk 2019, Young people with Traumatic Brain Injury in custody, Available at: https://t2a.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Disabilities-Trust-Foundation-Young-people-with-traumatic-brain-injuries-July-2016.pdf [Accessed on: 12 December 2020]

Turner, N.E., Cook, S., Shi, J., Elton-Marshall, T., Hamilton, H., Ilie, G., Wickens, C.M., McDonald, A.J., Trajtenberg, N., Cusimano, M.D. and Mann, R.E., 2020. Traumatic brain injuries and problem gambling in youth: Evidence from a population-based study of secondary students in Ontario, Canada. PLoS one, 15(10), p.e0239661.

Vavilala, M.S., Farr, C.K., Watanitanon, A., Clark-Bell, B.C., Chandee, T., Moore, A. and Armstead, W., 2018. Early changes in cerebral autoregulation among youth hospitalized after sports-related traumatic brain injury. Brain injury, 32(2), pp.269-275.