It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to speculate about why depression might follow a Traumatic Brain Injury. Or does it? Health Day, “Major Depression Often Follows Brain Injury” By Amanda Gardner, May 18, 2010
“Patients, including Veterans, are at 8 times the risk after head trauma, study finds…In this study of 559 patients with traumatic brain injury, more than half (53.1 percent) also endured major depressive disorder at some point during the study follow-up.”
…read the complete article at HealthDay.com Los Angeles Times, Booster Shots (Health Blog at latimes.com), “In concussion’s wake, sadness and anxiety thrive” By Melissa Healy, May 18, 2010
“In the year following a traumatic brain injury, roughly half of survivors likely experience a bout of clinical depression — a rate almost eight times higher than that found in the general population, says a study published Tuesday [5/18/10] in The Journal of the American Medical Assn.…And …reported significantly more pain, greater mobility problems and more difficulty carrying out their usual responsibilities than those who were not plagued by post-injury depression…”
“…Traumatic brain injury…sometimes called concussion…affects 1.5 million Americans yearly. Its symptoms are often subtle — including personality changes, problems of memory and concentration, headaches and mood disturbances…” …read the complete article at latimesblogs.com/booster shots
Reuters, “Major Depression Common After Brain Injury,” By Rachael Myers Lowe, May 18, 2010
Severe depression within the first year of a traumatic brain injury [TBI] is common but treatment is not, Washington State Researchers Report.” …read the complete article at reuters.com
Research Referenced (in all articles) from The Journal of the American Medical Association: “Rates of Major Depressive Disorder and Clinical Outcomes Following Traumatic Brain Injury.” By Charles H. Bombardier, PhD; Jesse R. Fann, MD, MPH; Nancy R. Temkin, PhD; Peter C. Esselman, MD; Jason Barber, MS; Sureyya S. Dikmen, PhD. JAMA. 2010;303(19):1938-1945.
Toronto Star, “Is Russell Williams Still Grasping for Control?” By Jim Rankin, April 18, 2010
[Background: Col. Russell Williams in the Canadian Forces and a former Base Commander is accused in a string of murders, rapes, now 82 counts of breaking and entering and an unfolding story of escalating violent behavior. Toronto Star reporter Jim Rankin interviewed Stephen Raffle, M.D., and other forensic mental health experts to gain insight into Col. Williams' recent behavior in jail: a hunger strike, what appear to be suicide attempts and their meaning]
“…the major thing is loss of control and trying to remain in control of an out-of-control situation,” says Raffle, who has interviewed serial killers and gives expert testimony in criminal cases…Hypothetically, assuming that he did these things, there may be a sense of shame, and he sees (suicide) as an honourable way out,” says Raffle. “I think this is a man trying to regain control. It’s his only possible escape at this point….”
When the brain is traumatically injured (TBI), will Depression follow?
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to speculate about why depression might follow a Traumatic Brain Injury. Or does it?
Postmenopausal Women Taking Antidepressants May Be At Risk
“Postmenopausal Women Taking Antidepressants May Be at Higher Risk for Stroke, Death,” Los Angeles Times, By Melissa Healy, December 14, 2009. See below.
Family Doctor Keeping an Eye out For Depression
“Doctors Called on to Screen All Adults for Depression,”Amednews (published by the American Medical Association), By Kevin B. O’Reilly, October 26, 2009. See below.
Housing the Mentally Ill - The Courts Decide
“State Discriminated Against Mentally Ill, Judge Rules,” New York Times, By James Barron, September 8, 2009.
Mental Health: “ARMY STRONG”?
Articles from the New York Times and CNN@AOL.com. See below.
Mind/Body Connection: Does Exercise Diminish Depression?
“Exercise helps fight depression,” Los Angeles Times, By Jeannine Stein, August 3, 2009. See below.
PTSD - Dementia Link?
“Vets with post-traumatic stress are at high risk of dementia,” USA Today, By Mary Brophy Marcus, July 12, 2009. See below.
Post-Traumatic Stress, Autism Covered by Insurance? Mental and Physical Illness Gap Closing in Massachusetts Under New Law
“Widened Mental Benefits Pose Test,” The Boston Globe, By Kay Lazar, July 6, 2009. See below.
“Post-menopausal women taking antidepressants are at higher risk of suffering a stroke or of dying of any cause than are those who do not take such medications,” a study released Monday found.
“The authors of the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, called the increased risk a woman faces modest. But they noted that since post-menopausal women make up the largest segment of patients in the United States on antidepressants, the resulting increases in strokes and deaths across the country could be significant…”
…Read the complete article at latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots
“All adults should be screened for depression, and primary care physicians should do the screening, according to a position statement issued in October by the American College of Preventive Medicine…More than a third of primary care patients experience some form of depression, and 10% of patients have major depression. But, the college’s position statement said, most depressed patients seeing primary care doctors go undiagnosed… “With 6.7% of American adults — about 15 million people — experiencing depression in any given year, the prevalence of the disabling and potentially deadly condition makes it imperative that primary care doctors regularly screen their patients, the college’s statement said…
“Many people with depression will mainly be seeing their primary care physicians, so we need to figure out how to make this an important vital sign that all clinicians are aware of and help them think about ways to screen and then diagnose and treat,” said Michelle Riba, MD, associate director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center and a past president of the American Psychiatric Assn.
[Excerpted for This Website. -Ed]
“…The judge, Nicholas G. Garaufis of Federal District Court in Brooklyn, ruled that the state was violating the Americans With Disabilities Act by housing more than 4,300 mentally ill people in New York City in more than two dozen adult homes…” …read the complete article
“A Cycle of Promises Not Kept, The New York Times, By Jim Dwyer, September 8, 2009
“…When the time came for S. K. to go home, her sister could not cope with her illness and would not take her back.
“Although S. K. was able to care for herself, manage her money and live alone, she wound up in an adult home — privately run facilities that have as many as 400 people under one roof. For nearly 40 years, adult homes have been the subject of scandal, outrage, investigations and promises of reform, much like the state hospitals they were supposed to replace. By now, the largest adult homes have more residents than psychiatric hospitals…”…read the complete article
[Below are excerpts from 2009 news articles about a dramatic rise in suicide rates among U.S. soldiers and other mental health "casualties" among veterans. The New York Times now reports a new Army program in Mental Stress Training. Whether or not the program is an answer to the problems reported earlier, follow the links and read the articles to learn more. Articles are excerpted for this Website. -Ed.]
“The training, the first of its kind in the military, is meant to improve performance in combat and head off the mental health problems, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide, that plague about one-fifth of troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Active-duty soldiers, reservists and members of the National Guard will receive the training, which will also be available to their family members and to civilian employees.
“…the methods seek to defuse or expose common habits of thinking and flawed beliefs that can lead to anger and frustration — for example, the tendency to assume the worst. (“My wife didn’t answer the phone; she must be with someone else.”)” …read the complete article
U.S. SOLDIERS ARE PAYING A HEAVY
MENTAL HEALTH PRICE: STATISTICS TELL THE TALE
“…The Army said the total number of potential or confirmed suicides since January stands at 82. Last year the Army recorded 133 suicides, the most ever…”Earlier this year, Army officials saw the suicide numbers moving up, and by February said the service was on track for a record year for suicides….” …read the complete article
“Mental Health Toll Rising for U.S. War Veterans, Research Shows,” Bloomberg.com, By David Olmos, July 17, 2009
…“It sometimes takes time, given the stigma associated with mental illness, before we are able to break through the barriers and have patients tell us what is happening,” said Seal, who co-directs the primary-care clinic for Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers at the San Francisco veterans hospital…
“…Seal and her colleagues found that 22 percent of the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress during the study period, while 17 percent were treated for depression and 7 percent for alcohol abuse.” …
…”Post-Vietnam ‘Epidemic’
“The high number of mental health disorders puts the U.S. at risk of “an epidemic of chronic mental illness, as occurred with Vietnam veterans,” the study’s authors wrote.” …read the complete article
“Vets’ Mental Health Diagnoses Rising,” New York Times, By James Dao, July 16, 2009
“A new study has found that more than one-third of war veterans who enrolled in the veterans health system after 2001 received a diagnosis of a mental health problem, most often post-traumatic stress disorder or depression…The study by researchers at the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, also found that the number of veterans found to have mental health problems rose steadily the longer they were out of the service.”
“The study… based on the department health records of 289,328 veterans …researchers found that 37 percent of those people received mental health diagnoses…One-third of the people with mental health diagnoses had three or more problems, the study found. …read the complete article
[Excerpted for This Website. -Ed]
“Exercise affects the brain in several ways. “People with depression tend to become somewhat inert, and they don’t engage in their usual activities, and exercise gets people back to their usual level of activity,” Leuchter says.
“That can prompt an upward cycle, inspiring people to return to work and connect again with friends and family, ultimately providing motivation to stay on course. Such connections are crucial for depressed people…”
“…Many scientists and physicians believe that exercise increases levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter thought to be linked to mood regulation. However, most of the studies supporting this have been done on animals…”
…”If people are on medication or in treatment and haven’t had a complete recovery from depression, exercise is useful in getting them all the way there.”
“Widened Mental Benefits Pose Test,” The Boston Globe, By Kay Lazar, July 6, 2009
“Advocates hail law covering 4 disorders; Insurers, employers say costs to be high”
“Tens of thousands of Massachusetts patients who grapple with some of the most intractable mental health problems - eating disorders, addictions, autism, and post-traumatic stress - should face fewer barriers to treatment under a state law that went into effect July 1…
“…The expansion illustrates two of the most pressing issues in healthcare today: equality for mental health services and the price tag for expanding medical care…
“Any step we take that breaks down this artificial divide that exists between mental illness and physical health is a big step,’’ said Matt Noyes, a mental health advocate at Health Care for All, a Massachusetts consumer group…”
