Postinjury Depression Research Articles

Distance to Burn Center Does Not Impact Long-term Anxiety and Depression Risk Following Burn Injury.

Burn injury predisposes patients to significant psychological morbidity, including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress. Adding to the burden of injury, patients often require transfer to specialized burn centers located far from home. We hypothesized that greater distances between a patient's home address and the treating burn center would increase the rate of postinjury anxiety and depression. From January 2021 to June 2023, patients who were admitted to our American Burn Association verified center and seen for posthospitalization follow-up were identified. Demographics, burn characteristics, and follow-up anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-2) screening scores were reviewed. Comparisons between patients with positive and negative screens were performed using univariate analysis followed by logistic regression. Linear regression was used to evaluate the relationship between distance to the burn center and incremental screening scores. Of the 272 patients identified, 35.6% and 27.9% screened positive for anxiety and depression, respectively. The distance to burn center was not greater among patients with positive screens. Likewise, no statistically significant linear relationship was found between distance to the burn center and incremental screening scores. Morphine milligram equivalents on the last day of hospitalization (P = .04) and a prior psychiatric history (P < .001) all predicted postinjury anxiety. Total body surface area burned (P = .02) and a prior psychiatric history (P = .02) predicted postinjury depression. The distance between a patient's home and the treating burn center does not alter anxiety and depression rates following burn injury, further supporting the transfer of patients to specialized centers.

Applications of Cognitive Processing Therapy to Post-Injury PTSD: A Case Study

Approximately one in three traumatically injured patients will go on to experience post-injury posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or depression within a year of injury. In many cases, the nature of a traumatic injury itself constitutes a traumatic event. Traumatic injuries are often followed by subsequent potentially traumatic medical events (i.e., medical trauma) that may characterize post-injury recovery. Adequately addressing the complex biopsychosocial needs of traumatically injured patients in a traditional mental health setting can be challenging. The goal of this case study is to provide mental health professionals additional guidance to meet the needs of traumatically injured patients, including strategies to concurrently treat trauma-related symptoms and aspects of physical recovery that can elicit trauma cues. Specifically, this case study provides guidance to clinicians on the conceptualization and treatment of post-injury PTSD, with a specific focus on medical traumatic stress reactions (i.e., distress related to hospitalization, recovery, and adjustment to injury/disability). To demonstrate clinical considerations and applications of Cognitive Processing Therapy to post-injury PTSD, we focus on the experiences and treatment considerations of a fictional patient who represents an amalgamation of patients the authors have encountered in their clinical practice. Future directions for clinical practice and research to address medical traumatic stress are also discussed.

Delineating the impact of childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) on long-term depressive symptom severity: Does sub-acute brain morphometry prospectively predict 2-year outcome?

Despite evidence of a link between childhood TBI and heightened risk for depressive symptoms, very few studies have examined early risk factors that predict the presence and severity of post-injury depression beyond 1-year post injury. This longitudinal prospective study examined the effect of mild-severe childhood TBI on depressive symptom severity at 2-years post-injury. It also evaluated the potential role of sub-acute brain morphometry and executive function (EF) in prospectively predicting these long-term outcomes. The study involved 81 children and adolescents with TBI, and 40 age-and-sex matched typically developing (TD) controls. Participants underwent high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sub-acutely at five weeks post-injury (M = 5.55; SD = 3.05 weeks) and EF assessments were completed at 6-months post-injury. Compared to TD controls, the TBI group had significantly higher overall internalizing symptoms and were significantly more likely to exhibit clinically significant depressive symptoms at 2-year follow-up. The TBI group also displayed significantly lower EF and altered sub-acute brain morphometry in EF-related brain networks, including the default-mode network (DMN), salience network (SN) and central executive network (CEN). Mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of CEN morphometry on depression symptom severity, such that lower EF mediated the prospective association between altered CEN morphometry and higher depression symptoms in the TBI group. Parallel mediation analyses including grey matter morphometry of a non-EF brain network (i.e., the mentalising network) were not statistically significant, suggesting some model specificity. The findings indicate that screening for early neurostructural and neurocognitive risk factors may help identify children at elevated risk of depressive symptoms following TBI. For instance, children at greatest risk of post-injury depression symptoms could be identified based in part on neuroimaging of networks implicated in EF and post-acute assessments of executive function, which could support more effective allocation of limited intervention resources.

Correlates of Longitudinal Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents With Traumatic Brain Injuries.

Depression poses a significant threat to the health and well-being of adolescents with traumatic brain injury. Existing research has limitations in longitudinal follow-up period, consideration of sample heterogeneity, and outcome measurement modeling. This study aimed to address these gaps by applying the second-order growth mixture model (SO-GMM) to examine the 10-year post-injury depression trajectories in adolescents with TBI. A total of 1,989 adolescents with TBI 16-21 years old from the Traumatic Brain Injury Model System National Data Bank were analyzed up to 10 years post-injury. Depressive symptoms were measured by Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Covariates included age, sex, race/ethnicity, employment, Functional Independence Measure Cognition, TBI severity, pre-injury disability, and substance use. Longitudinal measurement invariance was tested at the configural, metric, and scalar levels before SO-GMM was fit. Logistic regression was conducted for disparities in depression trajectories by covariates. A 2-class SO-GMM was identified with a low-stable group (85% of the sample) and a high-increasing group (15% of the sample) on depression levels. Older age, being a Native American, and having Hispanic origin was associated with a higher likelihood of being in the high-increasing class (odds ratios [ORs] = 1.165-4.989 and 1.609, respectively), while patients with higher education and being male were less likely to be in the high-increasing class (ORs = 0.735 and 0.557, respectively). This study examined the disparities in depression among two distinct longitudinal groups of adolescents with TBI 10 years post-injury. Findings of the study are informative for intervention development to improve long-term mental health in adolescents with TBI.

Depression phenotypes in spinal cord injury and impact on post-injury healthcare utilization and cost: Analysis using a large claim database

Context/Objective Depression is the most common psychological comorbidity associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) and affects healthcare utilization and costs. This study aimed to use an International Classification of Disease (ICD) and prescription drug-based depression phenotypes to classify people with SCI, and to evaluate the prevalence of those phenotypes, associated risk factors, and healthcare utilization. Design Retrospective Observational Study Setting Marketscan Database (2000–2019) Participants Individuals with SCI were classified into six ICD-9/10, and prescription drugs defined phenotypes: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Other Depression (OthDep), Antidepressants for Other Psychiatric Conditions (PsychRx), Antidepressants for non-psychiatric condition (NoPsychRx), Other Non-depression Psychiatric conditions only (NonDepPsych), and No Depression (NoDep). Except for the latter, all the other groups were referred to as “depressed phenotypes”. Data were screened for 24 months pre- and 24 months post-injury depression. Interventions None Outcome Measures Healthcare utilization and payments Results There were 9,291 patients with SCI classified as follows: 16% MDD, 11% OthDep, 13% PsychRx, 13% NonPsychRx, 14% NonDepPsych, 33% NoDep. Compared with the NoDep group, the MDD group was younger (54 vs. 57 years old), predominantly female (55% vs. 42%), with Medicaid coverage (42% vs. 12%), had increased comorbidities (69% vs. 54%), had fewer traumatic injuries (51% vs. 54%) and had higher chronic 12-month pre-SCI opioid use (19% vs. 9%) (all P < 0.0001). Classification into a depressed phenotype before SCI was found to be significantly associated with depression phenotype post-SCI, as evidenced by those who experienced a negative change (37%) vs. a positive change (15%, P < 0.0001). Patients in the MDD cohort had higher healthcare utilization and associated payments at 12 and 24 months after SCI. Conclusion Increasing awareness of psychiatric history and MDD risk factors may improve identifying and managing higher-risk patients with SCI, ultimately optimizing their post-injury healthcare utilization and cost. This method of classifying depression phenotypes provides a simple and practical way to obtain this information by screening through pre-injury medical records.

Pre-Existing Anxiety and Depression in Injured Older Adults: An Under-Recognized Comorbidity With Major Health Implications.

Little is known about the prevalence and impact of psychiatric comorbidities on early postinjury depression and anxiety in nonneurologically injured older adults. This was a retrospective post-hoc analysis of data from the Trauma Medical Home, a multicenter randomized controlled trial (R01AG052493-01A1) that explored the effect of a collaborative care model on postinjury recovery for older adults compared to usual care. Nearly half of the patients screened positive for at least mild depressive symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Forty-one percent of the patients screened positive for at least mild anxiety symptoms as measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. Female patients with a history of concurrent anxiety and depression, greater injury severity scores, and higher Charlson scores were more likely to have mild anxiety at baseline assessment. Patients with a history of depression only, a prior history of depression and concurrent anxiety, and higher Charlson scores (greater medical comorbidity) had greater odds of at least mild depression at the time of hospital discharge after traumatic injury. Anxiety and depression are prevalent in the older adult trauma population, and affect women disproportionately. A dual diagnosis of depression and anxiety is particularly morbid. Mental illness must be considered and addressed with the same importance as other medical diagnoses in patients with injuries.

A-182 Depression Symptoms Predict Neurocognitive Functioning Following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury in the Acute Recovery Phase

Abstract Objective: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) survivors are at elevated risk for developing neurocognitive concerns. Lower premorbid abilities, pediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) severity, and post-injury depression symptoms have been shown to predict greater neurocognitive deficits. However, limited extant research has focused on the acute recovery phase or used objective neuropsychological assessment measures. We examined the impact of pTBI severity and post-injury depression symptoms on neurocognitive functioning in the acute recovery phase. Method: Seventy-four trauma patients (8 to 19 years) were assessed 1-3 months after PICU discharge. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Caregivers completed questionnaires about their children’s physical, cognitive and emotional functioning. The direct assessment included measures of WRAT5 word-reading; CMS/WISC-V/WAIS-IV digit span; WISC-V/WAIS-IV coding and symbol search; and DKEFS Trails-4, verbal phonemic and semantic fluencies. Given the high intercorrelations between aspects of executive function, principal components analysis (PCA) was conducted to create a cumulative neurocognitive index (NCI). A simple linear regression was used to test if moderate-severe Glasgow Coma scores and clinically elevated Promis Depression scores predicted NCI, controlling for reading ability. Results: Combining all participant data in the PCA yielded a single component solution accounting for 52.79% of total explained variance. The overall regression was significant (R2=.40), F(df=3,70) =15.23, p&amp;lt;.001. Elevated depression predicted NCI (p=.03) whereas greater pTBI severity was not predictive above the impact of premorbid factors. Conclusions: Neurocognitive functioning in PICU survivors within the acute recovery phase may be more related to concurrent depression symptoms than injury severity markers when premorbid factors are considered.

EPH91 Incidence of De Novo Depression within Three Years Following Traumatic Brain Injury: Real-World Evidence in the United States

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can result in substantial cognitive disruptions. Depression is one of the most common complications after TBI, known to hinder patient recovery and increase healthcare costs and resource utilization. While pre-injury depression is a documented risk factor for post-injury depression, it is suspected that many cases of post-injury depression are de novo diagnoses, and more importantly, represents an area of TBI complications that is understudied. We aimed to assess the incidence of de novo depression for three years following a TBI.

Comparison of two screeners predicting the future development of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder in Black men after serious injury

Background To assess the predictive performance of two established, short clinical screeners in predicting the future development of post-injury depression and PTSD.Methods This was a prospective, cohort design with a 3-month follow-up. Black adult male trauma patients were enrolled at an urban, Level 1 trauma center. The Penn Richmond Screener and the Posttraumatic Adjustment Scale (PAS) were collected in-hospital. Participants were categorized as depressed using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms-Self Report and as positive for PTSD using the PTSD Check List – 5 (PCL-5) at 3-months post-discharge. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of each screener were calculated. We used receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) with 95% CI to assess predictive performance of each screener.Results A cohort of 623 hospitalized, injured Black men were enrolled during acute hospitalization. 503 participants (80.6%) were retained at 3-months and formed the analytic sample. Mean age was 36.8 years (SD 15.4), 53.1% of injuries were intentional; median injury severity score was 9. At 3 months, 35.3% had moderate to severe depression, 32.7% had significant PTSD symptoms, and 22.4% met criteria for both depression and PTSD. Penn Richmond Screener: sensitivity 0.68, specificity 0.56, and AUC 0.62 for PTSD, and sensitivity 0.64, specificity 0.63, and AUC 0.64 for depression. PAS: sensitivity 0.59, specificity 0.73, and AUC 0.66 for PTSD, and sensitivity 0.75, specificity 0.49, and AUC 0.62 for depression.Conclusions This study validated the performance of both screeners within the same population, allowing a direct comparison. Two predictive screeners, developed through different methods and in different countries, showed comparable predictive ability. These findings indicate that risk markers for adverse psychological consequences of traumatic injury share some core similarities across populations and countries.

Clinical outcomes following major trauma for patients with a diagnosis of depression: a large UK database analysis

BackgroundMore than a quarter of the UK population are affected by depression during their lifetime. For major trauma patients, postinjury depression can result in poorer long-term outcomes, but there is...

A Cluster Analytic Approach to Examining the Role of Cortisol in the Development of Post-Traumatic Stress and Dysphoria

Identification of risk factors for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression after trauma is challenging due to their comorbid and heterogeneous presentations, yet evidence suggests these groups differ in peripheral cortisol. Hypocortisolism is consistently observed in chronic PTSD and hypercortisolism in chronic depression. Few studies have examined cortisol immediately following trauma as a predictor of these disorders, especially with respect to PTSD/depression comorbidity. Using cluster analysis, we examined the presence of sub-groups in a traumatically injured sample based on post-injury cortisol, PTSD and depression symptoms 6 months later.

The Role of Blame Attribution in Post-Concussion Syndrome Morbidity: A Retrospective Analysis of Patients at a Subspecialty Clinic

To compare the presentation of Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) based on whom the patient blames for the initial concussion. Psychological risk factors, such as pre-injury psychiatric disease and ongoing litigation, are associated with worsened PCS. We investigated whether blame attribution is another one of these psychological risk factors. 111 new patients presenting with PCS at a Canadian subspecialty concussion clinic were seen over 2 years. 91 patients (56 females, 35 males) were included. 20 patients were excluded for inability to define specific causative event (n = 13), underlying structural lesion (n = 1) or evidence of intracranial bleed (n = 6). Patients were separated into three groups: those attributing external blame (n = 70) those describing the incident as accidental (n = 20) and those attributing internal blame (n = 1). Patient observations included: subjective percentage of recovery (SPR), presence and severity of both headaches and psychiatric symptoms, and duration of symptoms at initial presentation. Psychiatric symptoms were graded 0-3 (0-absence, 1-mild, 2-moderate, 3-severe). Headache frequency was graded 0-4 (0-absence, 1-rare, 2-episodic, 3-chronic, 4-persistent). More patients belonged to the External group compared to Accidental or Internal groups (p < 0.0001). Mean SPR in the Accidental group was 73% as compared to 44% in External (p < 0.0001). Mean headache frequency was 1.7 for Accidental and 2.64 for External (p = 0.001) Mean severity of psychiatric symptoms was 0.55 in Accidental and 2.24 in External (p < 0.0001). 77% of patients in the External group were diagnosed with post-injury PTSD, with 0% diagnosed in the Accidental group (p < 0.0001). Post-injury depression and anxiety each occurred 3 times more frequently in the External group compared to Accidental (p < 0.0001). Mean symptom duration at initial presentation was 10.2 months in Accidental and 22.49 months in External (p = 0.001). The External and Accidental groups did not differ significantly in age (p = 0.938), number of concussions (p = 0.72), gender (p = 0.908), or preexisting psychiatric illness (p = 0.735). This study suggests blame attribution may be an important factor in determining patients at risk of a more severe and prolonged course of PCS.

Pharmacotherapy for Treatment of Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms After mTBI.

Cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms are extremely common following mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as concussion. Although most patients will recovery rapidly, a significant minority go on to experience persistent symptoms. There are currently no FDA-approved medications for treatment of cognitive and neuropsychiatric problems in the context of mild TBI, yet a number of agents are prescribed "off-label" for these complaints. Rigorous trials are lacking, but there are a number of open-label studies, and some small randomized controlled trials that support the safety and possible efficacy of pharmacotherapies in this population. Clinical trials conducted in samples with more severe brain injuries can also serve as a guide. Review of the literature. There is the most support in the literature for the neurostimulant methylphenidate for treatment of mild TBI-related cognitive dysfunction, and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, sertraline, for the treatment of postinjury depression. There is clearly a need for more well-designed studies to guide clinicians in selecting the appropriate medication and dose. Without clear guidance from the literature, a cautious approach of starting low and titrating slowly is recommended.

No Differences in HADS Scores Between Acutely Concussed and Healthy Collegiate Student-Athletes

ObjectiveTo investigate differences in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores between acutely concussed collegiate student-athletes and healthy, matched group of collegiate athletes.BackgroundMood disturbances have been documented acutely following concussion. The presence of anxiety and/or depression may complicate and prolong concussion recovery among some athletes. Therefore, it is important to examine acute post-injury anxiety and depression to facilitate proper management decisions.Design/MethodsTwenty-six student-athletes (54% female, 19.92 ± 5.56 years of age) with a diagnosed concussion completed the HADS questionnaire within a week of injury. Twenty-six healthy student-athletes (54% female, 18.82 ± 0.54 years of age) completed the HADS during pre-season baseline testing, individually matched by sex and sport. Independent samples t-tests were used to explore differences in HADS scores between groups.ResultsThere was no significant difference (p = 0.50) between total HADS scores of the concussion group (6.77 ± 6.17) and healthy cohort (5.81 ± 3.85). There were also no significant differences between concussion and uninjured groups on the HADS Anxiety subscale (4.38 ± 4.24 vs. 4.50 ± 2.83; p = 0.91) or HADS Depression subscale (2.38 ± 2.82 vs. 1.31 ± 1.67; p = 0.10).ConclusionsHADS scores obtained among collegiate student athletes acutely following concussion did not significantly differ relative to matched healthy control participants. It is possible that one week post-injury was not enough time to observe measurable effects of anxiety or depression, as those are commonly seen in cases of prolonged recovery.

Depression as a Predictor of Long-term Employment Outcomes Among Individuals With Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

ObjectiveTo examine the predictive ability of depression when considering long-term employment outcomes for individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) after controlling for key preinjury and injury-related variables. DesignSecondary data analysis. SettingCommunity follow-up after discharge from an inpatient rehabilitation center. ParticipantsIndividuals between 18 and 60 years old with moderate-to-severe TBI enrolled in the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems database. InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresEmployment status. ResultsThe prevalence of employment at 2 and 5 years post injury was 40.3% and 44.5%, respectively. Individuals identified as depressed at 1 year were more likely to be unemployed at 2 years post injury (odds ratio [OR], 1.77; 95% CI, 1.38-2.27; P<.0001). Similar relations between current depression and future employment were observed from 1- and 2-year depression status predicting 5-year employment (1-year: OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.48-2.40; P<.0001: 2-year: OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.36-2.17; P<.0001). ConclusionsAfter controlling for baseline predictors variables, the experience of postinjury depression—a modifiable condition—contributes predictive ability to future employment outcomes. Incorporating assessments and/or interventions for depression into postacute rehabilitation programs could promote favorable employment outcomes after TBI.

Suicide and drug-related mortality following occupational injury.

Drug overdoses and suicides have been rising since 2000 and are major contributors to a 3-year decline in US life expectancy. Studies suggest that injured workers have elevated rates of depression and opioid use, but no studies have measured excess mortality related to these risks. We linked New Mexico workers' compensation data for 100 806 workers injured in 1994 through 2000 with Social Security Administration earnings and mortality data through 2013 and National Death Index cause of death data. We then estimated the association between receiving lost-time workers' compensation benefits and mortality hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on Fine and Gray cause-specific subdistribution hazards for common causes of death and for drug-related, suicide, and alcohol-related mortality. There was almost a 3-fold increase in combined drug-related and suicide mortality hazard among women (HR = 2.63, 95% CI = 1.91-3.64) and a substantial increase among men (HR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.13-1.79). Circulatory disease mortality hazard was elevated for men (HR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.05-1.50). Workplace injuries severe enough to require more than a week off work may impair workers' long-term health and well-being. Drug-related deaths and suicides may be important contributors to the long-term excess mortality of injured workers. Improved workplace conditions, improved pain treatment, better treatment of substance use disorders, and treatment of postinjury depression may substantially reduce mortality consequent to workplace injuries.

Prediction of Multidimensional Fatigue After Childhood Brain Injury.

To determine (1) the presence of fatigue symptoms and predictors of fatigue after childhood brain injury and examine (2) the feasibility, reliability, and validity of a multidimensional fatigue measure (PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale [MFS]) obtained from parent and child perspectives. Emergency and intensive care units of a hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Thirty-five families (34 parent-proxies and 32 children) aged 8 to 18 years (mean child age = 13.29 years) with traumatic brain injury (TBI) of all severities (27 mild, 5 moderate, and 3 severe) admitted to the Royal Children's Hospital. Longitudinal prospective study. Fatigue data collected at 6-week follow-up (mean = 6.9 weeks). Postinjury child- and parent-rated fatigue (PedsQL MFS), mood, sleep, and pain based on questionnaire report: TBI severity (mild vs moderate/severe TBI). A score greater than 2 standard deviations below healthy control data indicated the presence of abnormal fatigue, rates of which were higher compared with normative data for both parent and child reports (47% and 29%). Fatigue was predicted by postinjury depression and sleep disturbance for parent, but not child ratings. Fatigue, as rated by children, was not significantly predicted by TBI severity or other symptoms. The PedsQL MFS demonstrated acceptable measurement properties in child TBI participants, evidenced by good feasibility and reliability (Cronbach α values >0.90). Interrater reliability between parent and child reports was poor to moderate. Results underscore the need to assess fatigue and associated sleep-wake disturbance and depression after child TBI from both parent and child perspectives.

Gender Differences in the Longitudinal Association between Work-Related Injury and Depression.

Little is known about gender differences in the association between occupational injury and depression. We investigated the bidirectional association and gender differences between work-related injury and depression using the same cohort in the US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). In Analysis 1, the association of occupational injury and subsequent depression was investigated from 35,155 employees without depression. Analysis 2 included 32,355 participants without previous injury and examined the association of depression and work-related injury. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio was estimated using a discrete time-proportional odds model. Male workers who had experienced workplace injury were more vulnerable to post-injury depression than non-injured male workers (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.52, 3.65). Female workers with depression were more prone to get injured at the workplace than the non-depressed female workers (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.96). These results did not hold in the reverse direction for both genders. Workers compensation benefit was positively associated with the risk of post-injury depression among males, whereas anti-depressant medication and duration of depression were related to workplace injury among females. Gender differences in the direction and associated factors of the relationship between occupational injury and depression highlight the need for gender-specific intervention to the vicious cycle of workplace injury and depression.

Abstract # 1781 Relationship between cortisol, endocannabinoids, PTSD and depression immediately and six months after traumatic injury

Purpose Over 1 in 5 people who are severely injured will develop PTSD and depression. However, it is not well understood in the immediate aftermath of injury who is at risk for this chronic pathology. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the role of early (within 2 days) endocannabinoid and cortisol functioning in posttraumatic stress disorder and depression 6 months following traumatic injury. Methods 31 participants who had experienced a traumatic injury requiring hospitalization underwent a blood draw early after trauma, as well as an assessment of PTSD and peritraumatic emotion regulation. At 6-months post-injury subject PTSD and depression symptoms were assessed, and another blood draw was completed. Pearson correlation analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between cortisol, 2-AG, and AEA and the symptom clusters of PTSD (avoidance, intrusions, hyperarousal, negative alterations in mood and cognitions), depression, stress, anxiety, and emotion regulation. These are preliminary analyses of a large scale study evaluating the endocannabinoid system as a marker for PTSD. Results Significant correlations were found between baseline 2-AG, AEA, and cortisol and peritraumatic emotionality and previous trauma history, as well as 6 month scores of hyperarousal, negative alterations in mood, and stress scores. Summary These preliminary data suggest a relationship between cortisol and the endocannabinoid system early after trauma that may play a role in emotional reactivity and psychological distress outcomes.

Evaluating predictive screening for children's post-injury mental health: New data and a replication

Background: Recommended approaches for secondary prevention of posttrauma mental health difficulties in children require empirically sound predictive screening to determine which children require more intensive monitoring or targeted intervention. Although there are several promising screening tools for injured children, none has emerged as the gold standard, and little replication data are available regarding their performance.Objective: To evaluate a predictive screening protocol for risk of later posttraumatic stress (PTS) and depression outcomes and address a crucial lack of replication studies by examining performance of two previously published screening tools (Screening Tool for Early Predictors of PTSD [STEPP] and Child Trauma Screening Questionnaire [CTSQ]).Method: The study enrolled 290 children hospitalized after acute injury. A three-part screening protocol, including acute PTS and depression symptoms and other empirically derived risk factors, was administered in hospital as part of a stepped care study. PTS and depression symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were assessed 6 months post-injury.Results: The screening protocol demonstrated excellent sensitivity (1.00) and good specificity (0.73) for prediction of 6-month PTS, moderate sensitivity (0.64) and good specificity (0.74) for 6-month depression, and excellent negative predictive value for both outcomes. Among children screening at risk, HRQoL was poorer at 6 months post-injury. Replication analyses found predictive utility (sensitivity and specificity) was low for the STEPP and moderate for the CTSQ.Conclusions: This study provides additional evidence that early post-injury screening could identify children at higher risk for persistent PTS symptoms and limited support for predicting post-injury depression. Findings support acute PTS symptoms as key early risk markers. The predictive value of a negative screening result (i.e., knowing who is not at risk) may be especially important in choosing where to target limited follow-up resources. It is crucial that future investigations provide additional replication data regarding existing screening tools and evaluate additional or alternate items (proposed a priori) to improve predictive power.