Charles H. Bombardier

Rates of major depressive disorder and clinical outcomes following traumatic brain injury.

CONTEXT Uncertainties exist about the rates, predictors, and outcomes of major depressive disorder (MDD) among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). OBJECTIVE To describe MDD-related rates, predictors, outcomes, and treatment during the first year after TBI. DESIGN Cohort from June 2001 through March 2005 followed up by structured telephone interviews at months 1 through 6, 8, 10, and 12 (data collection ending February 2006). SETTING Harborview Medical Center, a level I trauma center in Seattle, Washington. PARTICIPANTS Five hundred fifty-nine consecutively hospitalized adults with complicated mild to severe TBI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) depression and anxiety modules were administered at each assessment and the European Quality of Life measure was given at 12 months. RESULTS Two hundred ninety-seven of 559 patients (53.1%) met criteria for MDD at least once in the follow-up period. Point prevalences ranged between 31% at 1 month and 21% at 6 months. In a multivariate model, risk of MDD after TBI was associated with MDD at the time of injury (risk ratio [RR], 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37-1.91), history of MDD prior to injury (but not at the time of injury) (RR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.31-1.82), age (RR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.44-0.83 for > or = 60 years vs 18-29 years), and lifetime alcohol dependence (RR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.14-1.57). Those with MDD were more likely to report comorbid anxiety disorders after TBI than those without MDD (60% vs 7%; RR, 8.77; 95% CI, 5.56-13.83). Only 44% of those with MDD received antidepressants or counseling. After adjusting for predictors of MDD, persons with MDD reported lower quality of life at 1 year compared with the nondepressed group. CONCLUSIONS Among a cohort of patients hospitalized for TBI, 53.1% met criteria for MDD during the first year after TBI. Major depressive disorder was associated with history of MDD and was an independent predictor of poorer health-related quality of life.

Psychological effects of severe burn injuries.

Severe burn injuries provide researchers with an opportunity to study the effects of painful but usually transient trauma on psychological functioning. To that end, this article presents a review of the 3 main areas of this body of literature: (a) premorbid characteristics of people who sustain severe burn injuries, (b) psychological reactions during hospitalization, and (c) long-term adjustment. The general implications of these studies are discussed and then used to illuminate the circumstances under which individuals suffer the most from this type of trauma, the effects of such injuries on personality function, and how meaningful units of measurements can be defined. Potential clinical applications are also described.

Validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 in assessing depression following traumatic brain injury.

ObjectiveTo test the validity and reliability of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for diagnosing major depressive disorder (MDD) among persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI). DesignProspective cohort study. SettingLevel I trauma center. Participants135 adults within 1 year of complicated mild, moderate, or severe TBI. Main Outcome MeasuresPHQ-9 Depression Scale, Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (SCID). ResultsUsing a screening criterion of at least 5 PHQ-9 symptoms present at least several days over the last 2 weeks (with one being depressed mood or anhedonia) maximizes sensitivity (0.93) and specificity (0.89) while providing a positive predictive value of 0.63 and a negative predictive value of 0.99 when compared to SCID diagnosis of MDD. Pearsons correlation between the PHQ-9 scores and other depression measures was 0.90 with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist depression subscale and 0.78 with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Test-retest reliability of the PHQ-9 was r = 0.76 and κ = 0.46 when using the optimal screening method. ConclusionsThe PHQ-9 is a valid and reliable screening tool for detecting MDD in persons with TBI.

Chronic pain in a large community sample of persons with multiple sclerosis.

Introduction: This study examined the prevalence, intensity, interference, and biopsychosocial correlates of pain in a large community-based sample of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Mail surveys were returned by 442 members of the King C ounty (WA) MS Association. Average pain intensity, pain-related activity interference, depressive symptoms and severity of MS were assessed. Results: Forty-four percent reported persistent, bothersome pain in the three months prior to completing the survey. Participants with pain reported an average pain intensity rating of 5.2 (SD =2.3) on the 0 (no pain) to 10 (pain as bad as could be) scale. Twenty-seven percent reported severe pain (score of 7-10), while 51% of those with pain rated the interference of their pain with daily activities as none to minimal. Twenty percent reported severe interference in activities as a result of pain. In multivariate modeling, MS illness severity, marital status, and self-ratings of overall health were significantly associated with pain-related interference with activities. Conclusions: A pproximately a fourth of this sample described having a chronic pain problem characterized by severe pain intensity and significant pain-related interference with activities. Disability due to pain may be more important than previously recognized for the MS population.

The relationship of appraisal and coping to chronic illness adjustment

There is evidence that adaptation to chronic illness may be affected by psychological factors, especially how patients appraise and cope with the stress of their illness. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship of stress appraisal and coping responses to multiple behavioral indices of illness adjustment among patients with diverse chronic medical conditions. One hundred and one patients admitted to a multidisciplinary medicine/psychiatry unit completed measures of functional impairment, depression, symptom severity, and the Ways of Coping Checklist--Revised. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that emotion-focused coping was positively related to poor psychosocial adjustment and depression after controlling for physician rated disease severity. Appraising chronic illness as holding one back predicted greater emotion-focused coping responses and poorer adjustment to illness. The use of problem-focused coping strategies was generally unrelated to illness adjustment. These findings suggest the presence of an emotion-focused coping triad consisting of wishful thinking, self blame, and avoidance, all of which appear to be maladaptive strategies when coping with chronic medical conditions. Implications for coping skills training and the need for longitudinal research is discussed.

A Longitudinal Study of Depression From 1 to 5 Years After Spinal Cord Injury

OBJECTIVE To describe rates of probable major depression and the development and improvement of depression and to test predictors of depression in a cohort of participants with spinal cord injury (SCI) assessed at 1 and 5 years after injury. DESIGN Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING SCI Model System. PARTICIPANTS Participants (N=1035) who completed 1- and 5-year postinjury follow-up interviews from 2000 to 2009. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Probable major depression, defined as Physician Health Questionnaire-9 score of 10 or higher. RESULTS Probable major depression was found in 21% of participants at year 1 and 18% at year 5. Similar numbers of participants had improvement (25%) or worsening (20%) of symptoms over time, with 8.7% depressed at both 1 and 5 years. Increased pain (odds ratio [OR], 1.10), worsening health status (OR, 1.39), and decreasing unsafe use of alcohol (vs no unsafe use of alcohol; OR, 2.95) are risk factors for the development of depression at 5 years. No predictors of improvement in depression were found. CONCLUSION In this sample, probable major depression was found in 18% to 21% of participants 1 to 5 years after injury. To address this high prevalence, clinicians should use these risk factors and ongoing systematic screening to identify those at risk for depression. Worsening health problems and lack of effective depression treatment in participants with SCI may contribute to high rates of chronic or recurrent depression in this population.

Depression After Spinal Cord Injury: Comorbidities, Mental Health Service Use, and Adequacy of Treatment

OBJECTIVE To provide data for depression rates and psychiatric comorbid conditions, mental health service use, and adequacy of depression treatment in depressed and nondepressed adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN Cross-sectional survey as part of the Project to Improve Symptoms and Mood after SCI (PRISMS). SETTING Community setting. PARTICIPANTS Community-residing people with traumatic SCI (N=947). INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) Depression Scale, psychiatric history questionnaire, Cornell Service Index (mental health service use), and current medication use. RESULTS The prevalence of probable major depression (PHQ-9 score ≥10) was 23%. There was a high lifetime prevalence of other psychiatric conditions, particularly anxiety disorders. In depressed participants, 29% currently were receiving any antidepressant and 11% were receiving guideline-level antidepressant dose and duration, whereas 11% had been receiving any psychotherapy in the past 3 months and 6% had been receiving guideline-level psychotherapy in the past 3 months. Serotonergic antidepressants and individual psychotherapy were the most common types of treatment received, and there was a wide range of provider types and treatment settings. Demographic and clinical variables were not associated with receipt of mental health service or guideline-level care. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study document the low rate of mental health treatment for persons with SCI and probable major depression. These findings have implications for improving the effectiveness of depression treatment in people with SCI.

The Efficacy of Telephone Counseling for Health Promotion in People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE To determine if motivational interviewing-based telephone counseling increases health promotion activities and improves other health outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). DESIGN Randomized controlled trial with wait-list controls and single-blinded outcome assessments conducted at baseline and at 12 weeks. SETTING MS research and training center in the Pacific Northwest. PARTICIPANTS Community-residing persons (N=130) with physician confirmed MS aged 18 or older who were able to walk unassisted at least 90 m (300 ft). INTERVENTION A single in-person motivational interview followed by 5 scheduled telephone counseling sessions to facilitate improvement in 1 of 6 health promotion areas: exercise, fatigue management, communication and/or social support, anxiety and/or stress management, and reducing alcohol or other drug use. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II plus fatigue impact, subjective health, and objective measures of strength, fitness, and cognition. Intent-to-treat analyses of change scores were analyzed using nonparametric tests. RESULTS Seventy persons were randomized to treatment and 60 to the control condition. The treatment group reported significantly greater improvement in health promotion activities, including physical activity, spiritual growth, and stress management as well as in fatigue impact and mental health compared with controls. In addition, the exerciser subgroup showed greater improvement than controls in self-selected walking speed. CONCLUSIONS A less intensive, more accessible approach to health promotion based on telephone counseling and motivational interviewing shows promise and merits further study.

Understanding Falls in Multiple Sclerosis: Association of Mobility Status, Concerns About Falling, and Accumulated Impairments

Background Falls in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are a serious health concern, and the percentage of people who restrict their activity because of concerns about falling (CAF) is not known. Mobility function and accumulated impairments are associated with fall risk in older adults but not in people with stroke and have not been studied in people with MS. Objective The purposes of this study were: (1) to estimate the percentage of people who have MS and report falling, CAF, and activity restrictions related to CAF; (2) to examine associations of these factors with fall status; and (3) to explore associations of fall status with mobility function and number of accumulated impairments. Design A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Methods A total of 575 community-dwelling people with MS provided information about sociodemographics, falls, CAF, activity restrictions related to CAF, mobility function, and accumulated impairments. Chi-square statistics were used to explore associations among these factors. Results In all participants, about 62% reported CAF and about 67% reported activity restrictions related to CAF. In participants who did not experience falls, 25.9% reported CAF and 27.7% reported activity restrictions related to CAF. Mobility function was associated with fall status; participants reporting moderate mobility restrictions reported the highest percentage of falls, and participants who were nonwalkers (ie, had severely limited self-mobility) reported the lowest percentage. Falls were associated with accumulated impairments; the participants who reported the highest percentage of 2 or more falls were those with 10 impairments. Limitations This cross-sectional study relied on self-reported falls, mobility, and impairment status, which were not objectively verified. Conclusions Both CAF and activity restrictions related to CAF were common in people with MS and were reported by people who experienced falls and those who did not. The association of fall status with mobility function did not appear to be linear. Fall risk increased with declining mobility function; however, at a certain threshold, further declines in mobility function were associated with fewer falls, possibly because of reduced fall risk exposure.

Efficacy of paroxetine in treating major depressive disorder in persons with multiple sclerosis

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of paroxetine in treating major depressive disorder (MDD) in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHOD In this double-blind trial, 42 participants with MS and MDD were randomly assigned to one of two parallel 12-week treatment arms: paroxetine or placebo. The participants started at an initial dose of 10 mg/day paroxetine or placebo, titrated up to 40 mg daily based on symptoms response and side effects. The primary outcome measure was the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). Secondary outcomes included fatigue, anxiety and self-reported quality of life. RESULTS Intent-to-treat analyses revealed that both groups improved from pretreatment to posttreatment. Although the treatment group improved more than the control group on most measures, few differences were statistically significant. For the primary outcome, 57.1% of participants in the treatment arm had at least a 50% reduction in HAM-D score, compared with 40% in the control group (nonsignificant). Treatment effects were greater among the participants who completed the study; 78.6% of completers had a treatment response compared with 42.1% of controls (P=.073). CONCLUSION Although paroxetine may not be efficacious for all persons with MS and MDD, it appears to benefit some individuals.