Survey Highlights:
- 81% of adults in the U.S. do not recognize concussions as traumatic brain injuries.
- While 70% of Americans say they are familiar with concussions, only about half report similar awareness of brain injury.
- Fewer than one in five know that falls are the leading cause of brain injuries.
FAIRFAX, Va., March 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new national survey, most Americans lack critical knowledge about brain injuries, their causes and their long-term effects, even though four in 10 adults (39%) have experienced symptoms of traumatic brain injury during their lifetime.
The results uncovered significant gaps in knowledge and misconceptions. More than eight in 10 U.S. adults (81%) were unaware concussions are classified as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and 82% did not recognize falls as the leading cause of brain injury.
The survey revealed the need for more conversations within health care settings as well. Fewer than one in four (23%) adults reported being screened for a history of brain injury during medical visits, despite the potential long-term impacts of brain injury.
Additional key findings include:
- Misinformation on symptoms: While 70% of adults say they are familiar with concussions, nearly half (49%) incorrectly identified at least one non-symptom (e.g., facial droop, hallucinations) as a sign of concussion.
- An invisible and hidden disability: About three in four (77%) U.S. adults recognize a brain injury can develop into a chronic health condition and that people with brain injuries don’t always recover in a few days (74%), yet fewer than one-third (28%) consider brain injury to be an invisible (or hidden) disability.
- Gender disparities: Men are nearly twice as likely to be asked about a history of brain injury (29% v. 16%) when discussing medical history with a healthcare provider – they are also more likely to have experienced symptoms of a concussion (45% vs. 33%). Women are more likely to be asked about pregnancy (38%) than a potential brain injury (16%).
- Barriers to seeking care: While nine out of 10 (89%) adults say they are somewhat or very likely to seek medical attention if they experienced a head injury, among those who would not seek care, 41% cite not believing their injury is serious or severe enough, 36% cite not experiencing any symptoms or signs of a brain injury, and 35% say financial barriers, including lack of health insurance (19%), would prevent them from seeking care.
- Parental concern and action: Eight out of 10 (81%) parents of children younger than 18 agree they are confident in recognizing when their child needs medical attention for a head injury, yet many still struggle to identify concussion symptoms accurately (55% of parents of children under 18 incorrectly selected at least one non-symptom).
“While many people claim to be familiar with the signs and symptoms of brain injury, the results of this poll show that misconceptions persist,” said John D. Corrigan, Ph.D., the Brain Injury Association of America’s National Research Director.
“Detection and treatment for brain injury is incredibly important to our overall public health. Research shows that brain injury can develop into a chronic health condition and is connected to the development of other health problems like cardiac disease and diabetes, as well as neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease,” he continued.
The poll suggests Americans support Corrigan’s beliefs with 83% of all U.S. adults agreeing that there is not enough public awareness about treating brain injury.
“We know that the true number of people impacted by brain injury has been severely undercounted, and relative to the scale of impact it has been severely underfunded,” said Rick Willis, president and CEO of BIAA. “This further makes the case that brain injury education, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation needs to be prioritized.”
The Harris Poll conducted the online survey on behalf of the Brain Injury Association of America February 4-6, 2025, which polled nearly 2,100 U.S. adults to measure public opinions about and familiarity with brain injuries.
BIAA has published a report of the survey’s key findings here: 2025 Public Perceptions of Brain Injury Report and you can download a summary of the full survey results here: 2025 Brain Injury Awareness Survey.
ABOUT THE BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
The Brain Injury Association of America is the country’s oldest and largest nationwide brain injury advocacy organization. BIAA’s mission is to improve the quality of life of people affected by brain injury across their lifespan through advancing prevention, awareness, research, treatment, education, and advocacy. BIAA is dedicated to increasing access to quality health care and raising awareness and understanding of brain injury.
Find more information online at our website or follow us on social media.
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Robin Lindner
(336) 926-8000
communications@biausa.org
