Symptom experience and emotional distress after traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is unexpected and affects nearly 1.5 million Americans annually. Many with seemingly minor injuries incur long-lasting symptoms without clear explanation. This study examined the symptom experience and emotional response of persons with mild-to-moderate TBI and was guided by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) symptom management model. Using a cross-sectional design with persons recruited from outpatient rehabilitation settings, we found a positive and significant relationship between postinjury symptom frequency and tension/anxiety, anger/hostility and perceived chronic stress, implying a need to understand these relationships over time in order to implement symptom management strategies.