Depression after traumatic brain injury as a function of Glasgow Outcome Score.

One hundred and five patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) were assessed for depressive symptomatology at 6 months postinjury and 66 of those patients were examined again at 12 months postinjury. At 6 months, 42% of the patients with TBI and 20% of the Other Injury Control Group (OIC) were identified as depressed. Individuals with poor outcome (as measured by Glasgow Outcome Score [GOS]) had a higher frequency of depressive symptomatology than those with good GOS outcome. At 12 months, 36% of the patients with TBI and 28% of the OIC group were identified as depressed. At 12 months, there was no difference in terms of frequency of depressive symptomatology among patients with TBI with poor, moderate, or good outcome.