Anxiety and depression disorders 5 years after severe injuries: A prospective follow-up study

Individuals with severe injuries were investigated 5 years after the trauma tic events, and predictors of anxiety and depression disorders were identif ied. Trauma victims were selected who had an Injury Severity Score of great er than or equal to 16 and were brought to all hospitals in the Mersey regi on and North Wales over 1 year. The 212 patients aged greater than or equal to 15 years who left the hospital alive and lived within an accessible dis tance of the study hospital in Warrington were contacted 5 years later and 158 (74.5%) received follow-up assessment. Thirty-eight subjects (36.9%) re ported "definite" anxiety and/or depression disorders and, of these, only 2 1.1% reported taking psychotropic medications. Factors associated with anxi ety and/or depression disorders at follow-up were: sequelae of head injury (i.e., cognitive problems, post traumatic seizures, facial pain); writing i mpairment; disability due to thorax problems; and a new trauma during follo w-up. Initial severity or types of injuries and overall residual disability rated by the investigator were not strong predictors of anxiety and/or dep ression disorders at follow-up. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.