SPINAL-CORD INJURY - A SEARCH FOR DETERMINANTS OF DEPRESSION 2 YEARS AFTER THE EVENT

A prospective longitudinal study employing repeated measures was used to isolate factors which might predispose a person to depression two y ears after sustaining spinal cord injury (SCI). Thirty-one subjects wh o suffered acute spinal injuries resulting in permanent loss of moveme nt, and who had no head injuries or any preexisting psychopathology, w ere at least 17 years of age, and who were able to speak English, part icipated in the study. Using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) as a measure of depression, a regression analysis demonstrated that the exp erience of pain two years post-injury and feeling out of control of on e's life prior to hospital discharge were predictive of depression two years post-injury. No demographic variables or injury characteristics such as level of lesion or completeness of lesion were related to lon g-term depression. Pain management and rehabilitation techniques that enhance the individual's belief of control over their lives are theref ore recommended as interventions that could act to reduce depression i n the long term in persons with spinal cord injury.