Injured teens can be impaired by depression, stress

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After a serious injury, some teenagers suffer from depression and anxiety that can eventually interfere with their daily lives, researchers have found.

The study, which followed more than 100 teenagers hospitalized for an injury, found that in the days to weeks after the injury, 42 percent had high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and 19 percent were suffering from depression.

Moreover, over the next year, these teens were more likely than others to develop “functional impairments”—including pain and other physical symptoms, as well as problems with schoolwork or social life.

Dr. Douglas F. Zatzick and colleagues at the University of Washington in Seattle report the findings in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

The study involved 108 12- to 18-year-olds who were hospitalized for an injury at the university’s trauma center over the course of one year. In the days to weeks following the injury, the teenagers were screened for depression and PTSD—an anxiety disorder marked by symptoms such as bad dreams or flashbacks related to a traumatic experience.

The teens also completed a standard questionnaire about their quality of life and any functional impairments present before the injury. They repeated the same survey at several points over the next year.

The questionnaire asked about physical limitations—such as whether the teens had problems with walking a few blocks or climbing stairs—as well as self-esteem, and ability to do schoolwork or other usual activities.

The researchers found that patients with early symptoms of PTSD or depression were more likely to show “enduring functional impairment,” Zatzick told Reuters Health. The findings, he and his colleagues note, add to the growing body of evidence that both depression and anxiety take a toll on adults’ and teenagers’ day-to-day functioning.

Zatzick said that future studies could look at the effectiveness of routinely screening injured teenagers for depression and PTSD—and whether treating the disorders helps prevent functional impairments in the long run.

SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, July 2008.

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