Other common causes of TBI include trauma related to military service and sports-related concussion . Women ’ s soccer has the highest rate of concussions of all contact sports , a separate study recently found . “ Women who have a higher rate of soccer-related , repetitive head injuries and concussions may be at increased risk of depression ,” said Mani Sandhu , M . B . B . S ., M . S ., co-author of the study and a neurosurgery resident at the University of Iowa , Iowa City .
Women should be aware of the risk of developing depression after a brain injury , even if they have no prior history of mental health challenges , and should know what signs and symptoms to look for and when to seek help , Dr . Freedman said . Doctors should be aware of the higher risk and may consider screening women for depression if they have had a TBI .
Women at Much Higher Risk of Depression After Traumatic Brain Injury
The researchers analyzed nine studies of 691,364 people who had suffered from TBI . Of those , 360,605 were women , an estimated 105,755 ( 29.3 %) of whom developed depression ; and 330,759 were men , an estimated 72,432 ( 21.9 %) of whom developed depression . That meant women faced 48 % higher odds than men of developing depression .
Researchers aren ’ t sure why TBI is more likely to lead to depression in women . They do know that overall , women are more likely than men to have depression , which is associated with fluctuating reproductive hormones .
Women are nearly 50 % more likely than men to develop depression after suffering a concussion or other traumatic brain injury ( TBI ), according to an analysis of nine studies and nearly 700,000 people presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2023 annual meeting .
“ Most studies showing the link between TBI and depression have focused on men ,” said Isaac G . Freedman , M . D ., MPH , lead author of the study and an anesthesiology resident at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Boston . “ Our study rep- 5 resents the highest-quality evidence to date that a patient ’ s gender influences the risk of depression after traumatic brain injury .”
About 1.5 million Americans suffer a TBI every year , which can lead to long-term health effects such as memory loss and behavioral changes . Common causes of TBI in men include being struck in the head by an object , being in a motor vehicle accident , self-harm ( such as from a gun ) and assault . In women , common causes include falls and intimate partner violence .
“ The resulting difference in brain circuits between men and women in combination with factors such as lack of social support , socioeconomic status and inadequate treatment options may make some women more vulnerable to post-TBI depression ,” said Benjamin F . Gruenbaum , M . D ., Ph . D ., senior author of the study and assistant professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine , Mayo Clinic , Jacksonville , Florida .
To help prevent TBIs , people should wear a seatbelt while in the car and a helmet during sports where applicable or while riding a bicycle or scooter , the researchers said . g