Women are almost 50 per cent more likely to experience depression after a traumatic brain injury or concussion, new data suggests.
Researchers have analysed nine previous studies – involving a combined study population of nearly 700,000.
Lead author of the new research Isaac Freedman, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, describes the analysis as “the highest-quality evidence to date that a patient’s gender influences the risk of depression after traumatic brain injury”.
Researchers analysed nine studies of 691,364 people who had suffered from TBI. Of those, 360,605 were women, an estimated 105,755 (29.3 per cent) of whom developed depression; and 330,759 were men, an estimated 72,432 (21.9 per cent) of whom developed depression.
That meant women faced 48 per cent 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 who have a higher rate of soccer-related, repetitive head injuries and concussions may be at increased risk of depression,” said Mani Sandhu, co-author of the study and a neurosurgery resident at the University of Iowa.
Benjamin Gruenbaum, senior author, added: “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.”
