Depression Associated with Brain Injuries Only Treated in Half of Cases

A recent study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2010 looked at 559 people with traumatic brain injuries and found that their incidence of major depression was nearly eight times higher in the first year after the injury than in the general population. This finding is not particularly surprising given that in that first year, those that have suffer a traumatic brain injury typically suffer from a lowered quality of life and decreased functionality.

However, the study also found that “less than half of the people who were found to have major depression received any treatment during the first year,” reported Dr. Jesse R. Fann from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle and one the study’s principal investigators.

Approximately three million Americans are living with traumatic brain injuries, which are defined as a sudden violent blow to the head or a penetrating wound that affects normal brain function. The primary cause of such injuries is car accidents, but such injuries are also a “signature injury among wounded soldiers,” investigators noted.

The report noted that treatment for such injuries focuses on the injury itself and the person’s ability to think clearly, noting how little attention is paid to the emotional and psychological effects of such injuries.

If your movement, communication, or even emotional health has suffered as the result of a personal injury, you may be entitled to monetary damages for your pain. Contact a Raleigh personal injury attorney from the Whitley Law Firm to discuss your injuries and associated legal options.