TRAJECTORIES OF LIFE SATISFACTION IN HISPANICS OVER THE 10 YEARS AFTER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

To identify the trajectories of life satisfaction at 1 to 10 years post-TBI and to examine which demographic, injury and rehabilitation characteristics at the time of injury are associated with those trajectories. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to examine baseline predictors of trajectories of life satisfaction among Hispanic individuals across 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after TBI. This study included 1,051 Hispanic individuals from the multi-site, longitudinal TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) database, sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Individuals were enrolled in the study after sustaining a TBI and while undergoing inpatient rehabilitation at a TBIMS site and were included if they completed at least one Satisfaction with Life Scale at 1, 2, 5, or 10 years after TBI. The primary outcome measure of interest was life satisfaction, measured by the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al., 1985) at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years post-TBI. A linear (straight-line) movement of life satisfaction trajectories over time was the best fit to the data. Life satisfaction increased over time, with higher overall trajectories for Hispanic individuals who were partnered at baseline, born outside the U.S., and who experienced a non-violent cause of injury. There were no significant interactions for time with any of these main effect predictors, suggesting no differential change over time in life satisfaction trajectories as a function of these characteristics. Results revealed increases in life satisfaction over time among Hispanic individuals with TBI and shed light on critical risk and protective factors that may inform targeted rehabilitation and intervention services with this underserved group.