Anxiety and depression after mild head injury: a case control study.

Thirty-five patients and corresponding matched controls were investigated between 5 and 17 months from mild head trauma using the Self Rating Depression Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The findings indicate that compared with an appropriate control group mild head injured patients are at risk of developing depression, whereas their liability to anxiety is not increased. Our results strongly suggest that all head injured patients should be screened for depression.