Blunt Force Head Trauma Leads to Eventual Depression

According to a new study, blunt force head trauma, often suffered by civilians in traffic accidents, falls, sports and assaults may ultimately lead to depression.

Research conducted by a team at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center suggests that traumatic brain injuries more often than not seem to be accompanied by eventual depression or by symptoms closely associated with the mental condition.

"Any patient who has a traumatic brain injury is at a real risk for developing depression, short and long term," study co-author Dr. Oscar Guillamondegui, an assistant professor in the trauma and surgical critical care division.

"It doesn't matter where on the timeline that you check the patient population -- six months, 12 months, two years, five years -- the prevalence is always around 30 percent across the board."

1.2 million cases treated every year

Based on the results of these findings, nearly 360,000 of the 1.2 million cases of traumatic brain injury cases that emergency departments in hospitals treat every year will eventually end with the victims developing depression.

"Even though it is possible that individuals with TBI and depression may warrant different approaches to treatment than the general population with depression, there were only two studies of treatment in this population," co-author Melissa McPheeters, co-director of the Vanderbilt Evidence-based Practice Center, said in the news release.

"It's unacceptable, with so many people sustaining TBIs -- both in combat and civilian life -- that we know so little about treating depression in this population."

With researchers now attempting to identify whether or not anti-depressants are an appropriate treatment option for victims of head trauma, the results of this type of analysis are more important now than ever before.

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