摘要：We identified the prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among homeless veterans and assessed the TBI–4, a screening tool created to identify TBI history. Between May 2010 and October 2011, 800 US veterans from two hospitals, one eastern (n = 122) and one western (n = 678) completed some or all measures. Findings suggested that 47% of veterans seeking homeless services had a probable history of TBI (data for prevalence obtained only at the western hospital). However, psychometric results from the screening measure suggested that this may be an underestimate and supported comprehensive assessment of TBI in this population. Eradicating homelessness and assessing and treating traumatic brain injury (TBI) are key areas of focus for the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 1,2 Research from Canada has suggested that 53% of homeless individuals have a history of TBI, yet the prevalence of TBI among homeless veterans is unknown. 3 Additionally, TBI screening measures for homeless veterans have yet to be validated. We aimed to determine the prevalence of TBI among veterans seeking homeless services, such as those provided by the Grant and Per Diem 4 and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s VA Supportive Housing Programs, 5 and hypothesized that the proportion of probable TBI in this group would be significantly higher than that found among homeless civilians (53%). 3 Additionally, we evaluated the utility of a TBI screening tool (TBI–4) 6 and hypothesized that the sensitivity and specificity of the TBI–4 compared with a gold-standard Ohio State University Traumatic Brain Injury–Identification Method (OSU TBI–ID) 7 would be significantly greater than 0.75 and 0.80, respectively.
