Can Cognitive Therapy on the Internet Help with Depression After Brain Injury?

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  Is it safe to take an anti-depressant after a brain injury? My wife never took them before her brain injury. Her depression is a result of her injury, it seems, and she just can't seem to kick it. It's been more than a year now. I'm wondering about their effectiveness and safety after a brain injury.
   
  Click here to go to About Ask the Expert. Using Anti-Depressants After TBI?
• Healthy Minds is a 13-part award-winning TV series about the latest research and insights about mental illness, created to help reduce the stigma associated with psychiatric disease, which often prevents patients and their families from getting needed help. This 30-minute segment on depression features veteran newsman Mike Wallace and his wife Mary, who discuss how they dealt with his depression and reveal intimate details about his suicide attempt and ultimate recovery. From WLIW21 Public Television, in conjunction with NARSAD. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Third-party use restricted. www.wliw.org. Transcript of this Video. Depression with Mike Wallace

A brief summary of current research.

Evaluation of an online cognitive behavioural therapy program by patients with traumatic brain injury and depression

Topolovec-Vranic, J , Cullen, N , Michalak , A, Ouchterlony, D, Bhalerao , S, Masanic, C, & Cusimano, MD (2010). Brain Injury Vol. 24 (5), pp 762-772.

This study examined whether internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) could be useful in reducing depression in patients with mild or moderate TBI. Findings showed that scores on the depression scales significantly decreased after completion of the web-based intervention and again, after one year. However, if patients had problems with reading comprehension, concentration, and memory, they might not be able to take advantage of this type of program.”

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