Ar. Craig et al., SPINAL-CORD INJURY - A SEARCH FOR DETERMINANTS OF DEPRESSION 2 YEARS AFTER THE EVENT, British journal of clinical psychology, 33, 1994, pp. 221-230
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.