Illness perception, or the ways in which individuals understand and cope with injury, has been extensively studied in the broader medical literature and has been found to have important associations with clinical outcomes across a wide range of medical conditions. However, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding how perceptions of traumatic brain injury (TBI) influence outcome and recovery following injury, especially in military populations. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between illness perception, as measured via symptom attribution, and neurobehavioral and neurocognitive outcomes in Veterans with TBI history.

This cross-sectional study included 44 treatment-seeking Veterans (86.4% male, 65.9% white) with remote history of TBI (75.0% mild TBI). All Veterans were referred to the TBI Cognitive Rehabilitation Clinic at VA San Diego and completed a clinical interview, self-report questionnaires, and a neuropsychological assessment. A modified version of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) was administered to assess neurobehavioral symptom endorsement and symptom attribution. Symptom attribution was assessed by having participants rate whether they believe each NSI item was caused by TBI. A total symptom attribution score was computed, as well as the standard NSI total and symptom cluster scores (i.e., vestibular, somatic, cognitive, and affective symptom domains). Three cognitive composite scores (representing mean performance) were also computed, including memory, attention/processing speed, and executive functioning. Participants were excluded if they did not complete the NSI attribution questions or they failed performance validity testing.

Results showed that the symptoms most frequently attributed to TBI included forgetfulness (82%), poor concentration (80%), and slowed thinking (77%). There was a significant positive association between symptom attribution and the NSI total score (r = 0.62, p < .001), meaning that greater attribution of symptoms to TBI was significantly associated with greater symptom endorsement overall.

Symptom attribution was also significantly associated with all four NSI symptom domains (r’s = 0.47-0.66; all p’s < .001), with the strongest relationship emerging between symptom attribution and vestibular symptoms. Finally, linear regressions demonstrated that symptom attribution but not symptom endorsement was significantly associated with objective cognitive functioning. Specifically, greater attribution of symptoms to TBI was associated with worse memory (ß = -0.33, p = .035) and attention/processing speed (ß = -0.40, p = .013) performance.

Results showed significant associations between symptom attribution and (1) symptom endorsement and (2) objective cognitive performance in Veterans with a remote history of TBI. Taken together, findings suggest that Veterans who attribute neurobehavioral symptoms to their TBI are at greater risk of experiencing poor long-term outcomes. Although more research is needed to understand how illness perception influences outcomes in this population, results highlight the importance of early psychoeducation regarding the anticipated course of recovery following TBI.