Personality traits in patients with postconcussional sequelae

A prospective study was performed on 51 patients hospitalized due to minor head injury. Clinical outcome was assessed by means of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Impact of Event Scale (IES). Patients were grouped according to presence/absence of a GHQ case score during follow-up. The groups were compared as to differences in the personality styles, psychogenic attitudes, and prognostic indices, assessed by means of the Millon Behavioral Health Inventory (MBHI). One week after trauma patients with marked impact on general health due to head injury showed characteristic MBHI profiles, with significantly higher scores on the scales Forceful Personality Style and Sensitive Personality Style, whereas scores were lower on Introversive Personality Style and Cooperative Personality Style. Several of these characteristic personality features were seen in patients having postconcussional sequelae after 3 months and after 1 year. The results are related to previous studies in this field, and the quest...