Article

This study examines the effect of preinjury depressive symptoms on
outcomes 3 mos after complicated and uncomplicated cases of mild traumatic brain
injury. DESIGN: Preinjury depressive symptoms, experienced in the 30 days before
injury, as measured by retrospective self-report, were assessed within the first
2 wks after injury. The outcome measures assessed at 3 mos after injury included
affective/behavioral, cognitive, and physical problems and health-related
quality-of-life. RESULTS: There were 177 patients who completed both the baseline
and 3-mo follow-up interviews. The sample was categorized by severity of
depressive symptoms in the month before injury as normal, mild, or
moderate-severe. Compared with those reporting no preinjury depressive symptoms,
persons reporting moderate-severe depressive symptoms had significantly worse
outcomes on the Affective and Behavioral and the Cognitive subscales of the Head
Injury-Family Interview Problem Checklist and on the 36-item Short-Form Health
Survey Mental Component Summary score. The group reporting mild preinjury
depressive symptoms scored worse on a measure of cognitive symptoms compared with
those with no preinjury depressive symptoms. There was no interaction between
preinjury depressive symptoms and severity of the mild traumatic brain injury
(complicated or uncomplicated) for any of the outcomes. CONCLUSION: Moderate to
severe depressive symptoms in the month before injury seems to be a possible risk
factor for poor affective/behavioral, cognitive, and mental health-related
quality-of-life outcomes at 3 mos after mild traumatic brain injury. Clinicians
and researchers should consider the impact of preinjury depression on the
recovery process to provide at-risk patients adequate treatment soon after
injury.

Langue : ANGLAIS