Curr Treat Option Ne
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Curr Treat Option Ne · Sep 2009
Current treatment options for depression after mild traumatic brain injury.
Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is the most common neurologic condition in the United States; about 503 of every 100,000 persons visiting the emergency department have this diagnosis. A complex cluster of neurologic signs and symptoms are associated with an acceleration-deceleration mechanism of injury. Unfortunately, many persons do not seek treatment for MTBI. ⋯ Thus, evidence-based treatment of post-MTBI depression is quite limited. Because depressive symptoms can develop as early as 1 week after injury and can be exacerbated by stress, pain, and comorbidities, it seems prudent to begin early interventions focused on managing pain and stress, along with providing psychoeducational and problem-solving therapies. Efficacy studies are needed to determine whether telemedicine approaches, group interventions, or peer counseling may be helpful methods of delivering such interventions during the early months as ways to attenuate the development of a major depressive disorder.