Traumatic brain injury connected to depressionRSS Feed

Traumatic brain injury patients are more likely than not to suffer from serious depression during the first year of treatment, a study has found.

Integrated mental health services are needed for brain injury patients, according to researchers at University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.

They studied 599 adults who had sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) over a year, and found that a majority of these suffered major depressive disorder (MDD).

Dr Charles H. Bombardier, who led the study, said MDD could be the most common and disabling psychiatric problem in individuals with TBI.

He said: "Poorer cognitive functioning, aggression and anxiety, greater functional disabil¬ity, poorer recovery, higher rates of suicide attempts, and greater healthcare costs are thought to be associ¬ated with MDD after TBI.

"Systematic integration of mental health services into standard care of patients with TBI may be needed to improve long-term outcomes."

The study comes as Action for Brain Injury Week takes place across the UK, which is intended to make people more aware of the dangers of brain injuries.

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