Depression trajectories during the first year after spinal cord injury

This study looked at how depression changes in people during the first year after a spinal cord injury (SCI). The researchers wanted to find out if there were different patterns of depression and what factors might predict these patterns. The study found three main groups: those with consistently low depression, those with mild to moderate depression, and those with persistent moderate to severe depression. Factors like past mental health issues, pain, quality of life, and grief were linked to which group a person belonged to. The findings suggest that many people with SCI don't experience significant depression, while a smaller group has ongoing or worsening depression that often relates to pre-existing mental health problems. This information could help doctors identify and treat people at risk for depression after SCI.

• 1
  Three distinct depression trajectories were identified: stable low depression (63.8%), mild to moderate depression (29.1%), and persistent moderate to severe depression (7.1%).
• 2
  Pre-injury mental health history was a significant predictor of depression trajectory, with a history of depression being most prevalent in the persistent moderate to severe depression group (89%).
• 3
  Baseline pain, quality of life, and grief levels were also predictive of class membership, with the persistent moderate to severe depression group reporting lower quality of life and higher pain and grief.