Long-term mental fatigue after traumatic brain injury and impact on employment statús.

OBJECTIVE: Long-term mental fatigue following traumatic brain injury is endorsed as one of the most distressing symptoms, interfering considerably with return to work and social life. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of long-term mental fatigue after traumatic brain injury and to evaluate its association with employment status. METHODS: All patients (age range 19-65 years) diagnosed with traumatic brain injury irrespective of severity at Kungalv Hospital, Kungalv, Sweden, over a period of 5 years (n = 613) were invited by post to respond to questions about their injury, employment status and complete a questionnaire about mental fatigue, the Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS). RESULTS: A response rate of 38% was achieved. Among respondents, 39% scored above the MFS cut-off of 10.5. Higher MFS scores were associated with decreased employment status (p CONCLUSION: Long-term mental fatigue was frequent among people who had experienced a traumatic brain injury, and a higher rating on the MFS was associated with decreased employment status. Language: en