Why is it so critical to treat depression in people with a brain injury?
We know that depression after brain injury is exceedingly common. There’s so much that can be at play in terms of the actual brain injury itself, but then all of the myriad changes that happen in somebody’s life go on top of that. This is one of those things that impacts literally every facet of a patient’s life: their relationships, their work, their finances, their recreational life, everything.
So I think when you have a change of that magnitude, it’s clearly going to impact people emotionally, and depression is something that often is part of the picture in terms of the recovery. It's so important for a patient to be able to recognize that and to seek treatment for it as it is before it becomes something that is making their recovery that much more difficult. There’s already enough that is on their plate. We don’t need a clinical depression on top of it to make it even more challenging.
Related Resources
- Depression After Brain Injury: What You Need to Know
- How Common Is Depression After Brain Injury?
- Why Is It So Important to Talk About Emotional and Psychological Recovery After Brain Injury?
- The Process of Adjusting to Life After a Brain Injury
- How Can Depression Affect Recovery from Brain Injury?
- Why Does Being Active Relieve Depression?
- How Does Ambiguous Loss Impact a Person with a Brain Injury?
About the author: Samantha Artherholt, PhD
Dr. Samantha Artherholt is a psychologist that works with people following traumatic brain injury, as well as their caregivers and family members.
