Depressive Disorders and Emotional Status in Caregivers of Spinal Cord Injured Individuals: A Referral Center Report

Abstract

Background: Depression is a major health problem that has been shown to cause decreased function and associated with several chronic states of disability. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression in caregivers of spinal cord injury patients in Iran. Patients and Methods: Caregivers of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), who were referred to the Brain and Spinal Injury Research Center (BASIR), were interviewed to assess the existence of depression based on DSM-IV criteria. Patients’ injury characteristics, including; injury level, etiology and independence scores, based on the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM), were entered into the analysis. Results: Among the caregivers; 82.6% (n = 119) had no depressive disorder, while 9.7% (n = 14) revealed mild depression, 5.6% (n = 8) had moderate depression, and 2.1% (n = 3) suffered from a severe depressive disorder. Caregivers of patients with lower SCIM scores had significantly higher rates of depressive episodes (P < 0.001). Higher injury levels were also associated with higher depression rates among caregivers (P < 0.004). Conclusions: The incidence of depression in the caregivers of spinal cord injured patient does not differ significantly from the general population in Tehran, Iran. It seems that the major predictor of developing depression in caregivers is the dependency level of the patient. Our study recommends developing screening programs to diagnose and treat depression, which target caregivers of spinal cord injury individuals with severe injuries, particularly those with higher levels of dependency, in order to reduce the burden and consequences of depression in this sensitive population.