Nearly 98% of suicide-related traumatic brain injuries in 2021 were caused by firearm use, according to a recent study. 

Researchers conducted an analysis of traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related deaths in the U.S. in 2021. Using data from the National Vital Statistics System, the researchers evaluated TBI-related mortality by geographic location, demographic characteristics, mechanism of injury, and injury intent. They employed multivariable modeling to account for interactions among factors such as sex, age, race and ethnicity, and geographic region.

Published in Brain Injury, the study identified 69,473 TBI-related deaths in 2021, corresponding to an age-adjusted rate of 19.5 per 100,000 population. Older adults aged 75 years or older exhibited the highest rates, with 86.6 per 100,000 population, followed by adults aged 65 to 74 years at 25.6. Males had an age-adjusted rate more than three times that of females (30.5 vs. 9.4). Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native patients had the highest age-adjusted TBI mortality rate among racial and ethnic groups (31.5 per 100,000).

Unintentional injuries, particularly falls, were the leading cause of TBI-related deaths among older adults, accounting for a rate of 62.7 per 100,000 among patients aged 75 years or older. Suicide was the leading cause among patients aged 15 to 64 years, with firearm-related injuries responsible for 98% of these cases. Among children aged birth to 17 years, motor vehicle crashes and homicides were the predominant causes, each contributing a rate of 1.2 per 100,000.

Model-based analyses revealed substantial disparities across racial and ethnic groups. For example, non-Hispanic Black males aged 15 to 34 years had model-based TBI-related death rates as high as 70.57 per 100,000 in the Midwest, significantly exceeding the rate of 27.23 for non-Hispanic White males. Geographic disparities were also notable, with rural areas exhibiting higher rates than urban areas.

The researchers highlighted the role of systemic inequities, including socioeconomic and health care access factors, in contributing to these disparities. They emphasized the need for targeted prevention strategies, such as fall prevention programs for older adults and culturally sensitive interventions to address firearm-related injuries and suicides. 

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.