Life satisfaction and disability after severe traumatic brain injury

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationships between life satisfaction and disability after a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study, including 75 patients 2 years or more after a severe TBI. METHODS: Life satisfaction was assessed with the Subjective Quality of Life Profile. Impairments, activities and participation were assessed with standardized tests. RESULTS: The satisfaction profile was flat, i.e. the majority of items obtained mean satisfaction scores close to 0, suggesting that participants felt indifferent to these items or in other words that they were neither satisfied nor unsatisfied. Patients were on average slightly dissatisfied with their cognitive functions, physical abilities and self-esteem. A factor analysis revealed three underlying factors. The main finding was that the relationships between life satisfaction and disability were not linear: the lowest satisfaction scores were reported by participants with moderate disability rated by the Glasgow Outcome Scale, while individuals with severe disability did not significantly differ from the good recovery group. CONCLUSION: Life satisfaction is not linearly related to disability after severe TBI.