Browsing by Subject "tbi"

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an alteration of brain function, or an injury found in the brain, that is caused by an external force. In addition to the immediate effects of the brain injury, there is a host of neurological and psychiatric consequences that may follow from it later. Depression is the most common psychiatric disturbance following a traumatic brain injury and it can considerably affect a person’s functioning and recovery. The purpose of this review is to highlight different variables that can affect a person’s likelihood of developing depression following a traumatic brain injury. Other topics covered are the effect of depression on post-TBI functioning and recovery, the evolution of depression from a temporal viewpoint, and the treatment of depression in people with TBI. Depression that emerges in the early stages after the injury seems to be connected to pre-injury background variables and the neurological attributes of the injury. Later after the injury, depression could in turn be connected to psychological variables, such as subjective experiences or poor functioning or lack of social support. The risk of depression decreases as time passes but it remains elevated even years after the injury. Post-TBI depression is typically treated with antidepressants and psychotherapy. The treatment is carried out as a part of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program, the aim of which is to improve the person’s functioning and help him or her to adapt to the altered circumstances.