- SELF STUDY MODULES
- 1. Intro to TBI
- 2. Communication
- 3. Skills for independence
- 4. Cognitive changes
- 5. Behaviour changes
- 6. Sexuality
- 7. Case management (BIR)
- 8. No longer available
- 9. Mobility & motor control
- 10. Mental health & TBI:
an introduction - 11. Mental health problems
and TBI: diagnosis
& management - 12. Working with Families
after Traumatic Injury:
An Introduction - 13. Goal setting
- 10.0 Aims
- 10.0A Take the PRE-Test
- 10.1 Mental health & mental illness
- 10.2 Why identify mental health problems after TBI
- 10.3 Why a person might get a mental health problem
- 10.4 The brain and mental health problems
- 10.5 Types of mental health problems after a TBI
- a) Depression
- b) Psychosis
- c) Anxiety
- d) Personality change
- 10.6 Fatigue and problems initiating activities
- 10.7 Issues in using:
- a) Drugs & alcohol
- b) Pain killers
- c) Natural therapies
- 10.8 Treatment challenges
- 10.9 Who to see - services available
- 10.10 Take home messages
- 10.11 Resource
- 10.12 Take the POST-test
10.5 Types of mental health problems following a TBI
There are four common types of mental health problems
- Depression
- Psychosis
- Anxiety
- Personality change.
Epilepsy can occur after brain injury and is not a mental health problem.
Epilepsy is a condition where the brain has an abnormal electrical discharge. The person might fall to the floor, have shaking movements, at other times they can have repetitive movements and be unresponsive. It can be very hard to diagnose epilepsy.
A person who has epilepsy cannot control when they might have an attack (or seizure), but we know that it is not a type of mental health problem.
If a person has epilepsy then they have a higher risk of getting a mental health problem. There are some very particular types of psychiatric illnesses that are more common with epilepsy.
If a person has had a brain injury and they have epilepsy then they have a higher risk of having a mental health problem. They will need close monitoring.
If they have had epilepsy for many years and have not had any mental health problem then it is not likely to be an issue.
