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

Individuals with severe injuries were investigated 5 years after the traumatic events, and predictors of anxiety and depression disorders were identified. Trauma victims were selected who had an Injury Severity Score of greater than or equal to 16 and were brought to all hospitals in the Mersey region 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 distance of the study hospital in Warrington were contacted 5 years later and 158 (74.5%) received follow-up assessment. Thirty-eight subjects (36.9%) reported "definite" anxiety and/or depression disorders and, of these, only 21.1% reported taking psychotropic medications. Factors associated with anxiety and/or depression disorders at follow-up were: sequelae of head injury (i.e., cognitive problems, post traumatic seizures, facial pain); writing impairment; disability due to thorax problems; and a new trauma during follow-up. Initial severity or types of injuries and overall residual disability rated by the investigator were not strong predictors of anxiety and/or depression disorders at follow-up. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.