A Social Blow: The Role of Interpersonal Relationships in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Background: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI; concussion) is a common and costly public health concern that exhibits diverse patterns of recovery, making ascertainment of prognosis difficult. Interpersonal factors are critical determinants of health and linked to both adjustment to injury and illness and may critically impact mTBI outcomes. However, their potential role remains largely unexplored at present. Objectives: To provide a framework for incorporating interpersonal factors into the study and treatment of mTBI. Methods: We provide a narrative summary of the existing literature on adjustment to mTBI and present an overview of interpersonal biopsychosocial frameworks for adjustment to injury and illness. Results: We discuss ways of applying interpersonal framework models to the study of mTBI. In addition, we identified several factors or themes shared across frameworks that mTBI researchers and clinicians can integrate into their work. Finally, we discuss gaps in the literature and suggest directions for future research. Conclusions: Adding an interpersonal framework to established biopsychosocial models in mTBI would allow for novel opportunities for prediction of symptom course and for the development of novel interventions.