Suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression in traumatic spinal cord injury: What resilience tells us

The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2023 · DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2022.2039856 · Published: April 1, 2023

Simple Explanation

This study investigates the relationship between spinal cord injury (SCI), mental health issues like depression and PTSD, resilience, and suicidal thoughts. It aims to identify factors that might protect against or increase the risk of suicide in individuals with traumatic SCI. The study found that suicidal thoughts are common in people with traumatic SCI and often occur alongside depression and PTSD. Lower resilience was also associated with both depression and suicidal thoughts. Resilience, which is the ability to recover from difficulties, appears to act as a protective factor against suicidal thoughts in individuals with SCI, suggesting it could be a key area for therapy and screening.

Study Duration

May 2018 and May 2019

Participants

63 individuals with traumatic SCI

Evidence Level

Cross-sectional study

Key Findings

1
33% of the participants experienced suicidal ideation (SI) in the two weeks prior to assessment.
2
A significant portion (71.4%) of patients with SI also had depression, and 52.4% were diagnosed with full PTSD.
3
Lower resilience was significantly associated with both depression and suicidal ideation in individuals with traumatic SCI.

Research Summary

This study examined the prevalence of depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation (SI) in individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), also evaluating predictors and clinical correlates of current SI. The research found that SI is common among individuals with traumatic SCI and is frequently accompanied by psychiatric comorbidities like depression and PTSD. Resilience was found to be significantly lower in individuals with depression and SI. The study concludes that resilience, alongside depression and PTSD, is a significant factor for psychotherapeutic intervention and screening, highlighting its protective and predictive values inversely associated with SI.

Practical Implications

Psychotherapeutic Intervention

Address depression and PTSD in individuals with traumatic SCI through targeted therapies.

Resilience Enhancement

Incorporate resilience-building strategies into the standard care for SCI patients to reduce the risk of depression and suicidal ideation.

Routine Screening

Implement routine screening for depression and PTSD in SCI patients, especially those with full PTSD, due to the high comorbidity and increased suicide risk.

Study Limitations

1
Cross-sectional design limits establishing cause-effect relationships.
2
Difficulty distinguishing whether traumatic injury or spinal cord lesions caused trauma-related consequences.
3
Single-center recruitment and exclusion of individuals with ASIA-D level injury reduce the generalizability of the findings.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Spinal Cord Injury