TitleRates, trends, and severity of depression after burn injuries.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2001
AuthorsWiechman SA, Ptacek JT, Patterson DR, Gibran NS, Engrav LE, Heimbach DM
JournalJ Burn Care Rehabil
Volume22
Issue6
Pagination417-24
Date Published2001 Nov-Dec
ISSN0273-8481
KeywordsAdolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Analysis of Variance, Burns, Depressive Disorder, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Length of Stay, Male, Middle Aged, Patient Discharge, Predictive Value of Tests, Psychological Tests, Severity of Illness Index, Sex Factors, Time Factors
Abstract

It is commonly assumed that patients hospitalized for burn treatment will experience some level of depression. However, little is known about the trends in severity of depression over time. The purpose of this study was to determine the rates and severity of depression over a 2-year period. The Beck Depression Inventory was administered at 1 month (N = 151), 1 year (N = 130), and 2 years (N = 125) after discharge. At 1 month, 54% of patients showed symptoms of moderate to severe depression, and at 2 years, 43% of the patients responding still reported moderate to severe depression. The average correlation between scores over time was high. Women had higher depression scores than men at each time period. An interaction between gender and having a head or neck injury was also observed at 1 month and 1 year after discharge. Results suggest that routine outpatient screening for depression is warranted.

Alternate JournalJ Burn Care Rehabil
PubMed ID11761394