Abstract
A survey was conducted to identify the needs of the severely head-injured people (SHI) in the Southampton health district, who were known to the medical or social services. The study identified 62 patients with SH I and of these 48 were assessed. The results were similar to previous reports, showing that this group of relatively young individuals (mean age 36.5 years) had considerable residual disability many years after the original accident (mean duration 8.7 years). Over 50% of the study group had multiple impairment of a physical, cognitive and behavioural nature. Cognitive and behavioural problems presented the greatest difficulties for family and social adjustment.
This study identified less than 10% of the predicted number of patients suffering from disability following SHI, suggesting that further prospective studies of outcome of SHI are needed at district level. Moreover, current services were not judged to be providing adequate social and vocational activities even for the minority of patients assessed. It is further suggested that a specialized brain-injury team is needed to monitor patients' early and long term management.