Do Traumatic Brain Injuries Increase the Risk of Suicide in Women?

A recent report potentially links the suicides of young women to traumatic brain injuries. While reports like this are very alarming, it is important to know and be aware of the symptoms of these injuries as well as ensure that your family members and loved ones receive the proper help they need and deserve after suffering from them. By doing this, you may be able to prevent more tragedies from occurring.

In a CNN article, you learn about two young female athletes named Kelly Catlin and Ellie Soutter. Catlin was a track cyclist, and Soutter was a snowboarder. They were both doing wonderful things in the sports world, as Catlin was a world champion and Soutter was on her way to being in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

During their sports careers, both women were in serious accidents that caused head injuries. After experiencing ongoing issues, Citlin died by suicide at 23 and Soutter at the age of 18. These young women are not the only ones to die by suicide after suffering head injuries, which makes researchers believe there is a link. In fact, a 2018 study indicated that people who are diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries are twice as likely to attempt suicide or have suicidal thoughts.

Dr. Robert Cantu from Boston University School of Medicine stated that brain injuries may lead to suicidal attempts and thoughts because individuals are experiencing ongoing symptoms such as structural or functional brain damage, and they become easily irritable and cannot handle the feelings of stress, anger, and frustration as someone without these injuries would. This can lead to doing something very impulsive, such as attempting suicide.

Dr. Cantu also mentioned that patients not being able to perform the way that they used to, whether in a sport or a different activity, may experience negative and depressing thoughts, which can contribute to taking their own lives as well.

What is a traumatic brain injury?

The Brain Injury Association of America defines a TBI as “an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force.” Some common instances that can cause TBIs include the following:

• An individual is struck in the head with an object such as a weapon
• An individual suffers any type of sudden impact to or shaking of the head
• An individual’s head strikes an object such as the pavement, a tree, or a motor vehicle

When the head or skull is damaged in any way, the brain may also experience damage. This can prevent it from functioning normally, which may affect the individual in a few common ways, such as:

• The way they think
• Their memory
• Their sensations (taste, smell, feel)
• The way they communicate and interact with others
• The way they reason and understand things
• The way they control their emotions

Even though some people recover from traumatic brain injuries and live their normal day-to-day lives, there are many that never have a normal functioning brain again. As a result, they may need ongoing medical treatment and therapy for the rest of their lives, which can be very traumatic, frustrating, and even overwhelming.

What are the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury?

If you suspect that you or someone you know has a TBI, there are certain symptoms you need to look for, such as:

• Headaches
• Lightheadedness
• Confusion
• Blurred vision
• Feeling tired
• Dizziness
• Sleep pattern changes
• Mood changes
• Inability to concentrate or remember things
• Nausea or vomiting
• Slurred speech
• Seizures
• Dilated pupils
• Weakness
• Numbing feelings
• Increasingly agitation or restlessness

It is very important that individuals receive immediate medical attention when they hit their head on any object. The reason for this is because they not only need to get treatment for their primary injury, but they also need to be diagnosed for a TBI. Sometimes, when people get the medical care that they need for these injuries, it is too late.

How can a Chicago injury attorney help?

Our Chicago attorneys at Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers believe this possible link between young women and TBIs is very unfortunate. We wish that both young women could have received more support after their injuries, and we are very sympathetic toward their families. Learning that Catlin was turned away from seeing a psychologist because she was not considered a varsity athlete is very disappointing.

If you have been through a similar situation, please reach out to our lawyers at your earliest convenience. Due to the complexity of wrongful death lawsuits for suicide, we will look over your claim and make sure it is viable before moving forward. Two key factors that we may look for are whether someone was negligent or if there was any foreseeability. If we believe a wrongful death lawsuit is your best option, we will begin building a strong case against the responsible party.

According to the Illinois Wrongful Death Act, when a death is caused by “wrongful act, neglect, or default,” you may be eligible to file a claim against the responsible parties. In order to successfully do this, you must have proof that the wrongful act, neglect, or default caused the injury that led to the individual’s death.

Therefore, we will collect evidence showing that the suicide of your loved one was either because of another person’s breach of a duty of care or a foreseeable result of another person’s behavior.

Our team at Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers knows that there is nothing more tragic than losing a loved one. It not only causes emotional pain and suffering to families, but it also leads to a significant amount of financial stress. Therefore, we offer our compassion and understanding in these situations, and we will keep things as hassle-free as possible for you. Our lawyers know that we cannot take away your grief or loss during this tough time, but we may be able to help you seek compensation to get through it. Call our office, or submit our contact form to schedule a free consultation in Chicago.