Traumatic Brain Injury and Its Relationship to Previous Convictions, Aggression, and Psychological Functioning in Dutch Detainees

Abstract

Objective: Higher prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been reported for detained individuals. TBI may result in erroneously interpreting situations in everyday life, impair problem-solving abilities through dialogue, or negotiation, which may increase aggressive behavior. Knowledge of TBI and its consequences in Dutch penitentiaries is lacking, as virtually no screening, supervision, or treatment is currently provided. Method: The current manuscript assesses differences in self-reported aggression, impulsivity, indication for mild intellectual disability, history of childhood trauma, and emotion regulation in detainees (n = 283) and non-incarcerated controls (NIC; n = 51), with and without a history of TBI. Result: A total of 45.2% of detainees reported a TBI, compared to 29.4% in the NIC group. ANCOVA results revealed no interaction between group and TBI history, indicating that TBI history did not affect behavior in detainees and NIC differently. The main effects revealed higher levels of aggression in detainees compared to NICs, and in participants with TBI compared to those without. Separate ANCOVA’s per group reveal that TBI history in detainees was associated with more aggression–also when correcting for violence as the cause of TBI. A logistic regression revealed that detainees with TBI have a higher chance (odds ratio = 3.3) of having at least one prior conviction. Conclusions: TBI history was related to aggressive behavior in Dutch inmates, future studies should assess if TBI history is predictive of in-prison infractions and recidivism rates, and if screening and providing neuro-rehabilitative measures or improved supervision may improve TBI related deficits.