Abstract:
New paradigms of disability suggest that many variables interact to influence the community functioning of persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI), including injury severity, social, psychological, and environmental factors. Unfortunately, the majority of TBI outcome research to date has primarily focused on injury severity variables (e.g., neuroradiologic findings, loss of consciousness, post traumatic amnesia) to the exclusion of environmental variables. Limited availability of environmental resources such as rehabilitation professionals, facilities, and services may be significant barriers that affect outcome for persons with TBI, and particularly for those in rural areas. Using Missouri as an example of a rural state (i.e., 31.92% of the population lives in rural counties), the current study researched the availability of rehabilitation resources for individuals with TBI, with an emphasis on differences between rural and urban areas. Data indicated that there is a scarcity of rehabilitation professionals (i.e., physiatrists, mental health providers, rehabilitation therapists), facilities (i.e., hospitals offering comprehensive rehabilitation therapies), and services (i.e, support groups) in rural areas.