Background: Studies investigating the relationship between head injury and the subsequent onset of affective disorders often show conflicting results.
Aims: To investigate the risk of affective disorders following traumatic brain injury in a large Taiwanese cohort.
Method: This retrospective cohort study makes use of the National Health Insurance Research Database. A cohort containing 68,376 individuals who experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI) during 2000-2010 and had no prior history of mental disorders before the injury was identified. Using Cox Proportional Hazards regression, the subsequent risk of affective disorders was determined.
Results: TBI was associated with a higher risk of both bipolar disorder (Hazard Ratio [HR]=1.42, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]=[1.26, 1.59]) and major depression (HR=1.41, 95% CI=[1.28, 1.54]). More severe injury was associated with greater risk. The first year following the injury was the highest risk period for major depression, while the highest risk period for bipolar disorder was delayed until two to four years following the injury.
Limitations: Using a claims database, we were unable to assess confounding variables that were not contained in the data set.
Conclusions: The elevated risks of affective disorders after TBI speak to the psychiatric need of individuals who suffer from brain injury. Early detection and timely intervention may help prevent secondary and tertiary disability associated with head trauma.
Keywords: Affective disorders; Bipolar disorder; Major depression; Taiwan; Traumatic brain injury.
Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.