Racial and Ethnic Disparities Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury Across the Continuum of Care: a Narrative Review and Directions for Future Research

Background There is a growing body of evidence on racial and ethnic disparities within traumatic brain injury (TBI) care. The aim of this paper was to conduct a narrative review of the literature, demonstrating how racial and ethnic disparities manifest across the full spectrum of the TBI experience in civilian populations: injury, acute care and diagnosis, post-TBI recovery and adjustment, and long-term outcomes. Methods We searched five electronic databases (Scopus, APA PsychNet, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Google Scholar) using the search terms traumatic brain injury, head trauma, concussion, health disparities, ethnic minority, racial minority, race ethnicity, racial ethnic, prevalence, incidence, diagnosis, rehabilitation, recovery, and outcomes. Boolean search modifiers AND, NOT, and OR were used to produce relevant results. Additional resources were included by the authors, as deemed relevant to the investigation. Results Our narrative review of 39 articles elucidated numerous ways in which racial and ethnic disparities span the TBI continuum of care, including acute care and diagnosis, post-TBI recovery and adjustment, and long-term outcomes. Conclusions Understanding racial and ethnic disparities is a first step in ensuring equitable care for all individuals with TBI, including raising awareness among clinicians and guiding the development of tailored interventions for racial and ethnic minority populations.

Automated summary

This narrative review highlights various ways in which racial and ethnic disparities manifest across the full spectrum of TBI care, emphasizing the importance of understanding these differences in ensuring equitable care for all individuals with TBI.