The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges in health care. One group thought to be particularly vulnerable to these disruptions are individuals with disabilities, including those with TBI. The nature of TBI, coupled with the pandemic’s impacts on social and healthcare system domains, necessitates further exploration into how life satisfaction ratings of individuals diagnosed and recovering from TBI during the COVID-19 pandemic compare to those diagnosed and recovering from TBI prior to the pandemic.

Data of individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI from June 2019 to June 2022 were retrieved from the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database (n=154). Pre-COVID and During-COVID cohorts were created based on the date of TBI diagnosis relative to the onset of the pandemic with no overlapping dates. Satisfaction With Life Scales (SWLS) scores collected 1-year post-TBI diagnosis were used as the primary outcome measure.

Two-way ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey tests were used to analyze data. A significant main effect of sex was revealed, with females reporting lower SWLS scores than males across both Pre-COVID and During-COVID cohorts (p<0.05). Additionally, females in the During-COVID cohort reported significantly lower SWLS scores than both females and males within the Pre-COVID cohort (both p<0.05).

Women are particularly vulnerable to lower life satisfaction following a TBI diagnosis compared to men, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this finding. This study invites future investigation into the specific factors that contribute to this pattern. Furthermore, the compounding effects from the pandemic may help to illuminate these factors, identify new causes, and devise mitigation mechanisms. Heightened awareness and additional support from healthcare providers, especially in this late pandemic period, may improve outcomes among this group.