Incidence and Prevalence

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

TBIs affect the lives of people of all ages. Anyone can experience a TBI, but data suggest that some groups are at greater risk of dying from a TBI or experiencing long-term health problems after the injury.

 Examples of groups who are more likely to be affected by TBI, include:

• Racial and ethnic minorities.
• Service members and Veterans.
• People who experience homelessness.
• People who are in correctional and detention facilities.
• Survivors of intimate partner violence.
• People living in rural areas.

Learn more about health disparities and TBI. View cited references here: CDC Website.

Virginia Data

The Virginia Statewide Trauma Registry (VSTR) is a Web-based reporting tool that all hospitals which provides emergency services, must report information on any injured person that requires admission to the hospital, requires transfer to another acute care hospital for their injury, or dies in the hospital prior to admission.  Data from the Virginia Trauma Registry shows that between 2018 and 2020, 16,657 people were admitted to the ER with a traumatic brain injury. The good news is that during this time, there was a 10% decrease in TBI admissions.

• Ten percent of individuals in Virginia’s trauma registry with a TBI had a co-occurring mental health issue at the time of discharge.
• In 2021, there were 2002 severe TBI’s, 642 moderate TBI’s, and 12,482 mild TBI’s admitted into Virginia hospitals.

But the complications related to brain injury are serious.

• People 65 years and older die or are hospitalized for traumatic brain injuries more often than younger people in Virginia each year.
• Homeless individuals are more likely to have a brain injury than the general population.
• The rate of brain injury among incarcerated individuals is greater than the general population.
• Survivors of domestic violence often are undiagnosed for brain injuries incurred during their abuse.

More about Virginia Statistics: