Predictors of longitudinal depression trajectories after traumatic brain injury in Latin America: A multi-site study

Latin America has exceptionally high rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI), but very little research has been conducted on longitudinal TBI outcomes in this global region.

This study examined whether cognitive dysfunction and social disadaptation in individuals with TBI in Latin America at hospital discharge predict longitudinal trajectories of depression at baseline, 2 months, and 4 months.

A sample of 109 people with a new TBI was recruited from three hospitals: Mexico City, Mexico, Cali, Colombia and Neiva, Colombia. Participants completed measures of cognitive dysfunction and social disadaptation before hospital discharge and measures of depression at baseline, 2 months, and 4 months.

Results suggested that depression scores were found to decrease over time in a quadratic (or U-shaped) fashion, and more significant cognitive dysfunction at hospital discharge was associated with higher longitudinal depression trajectories. Social disadaptation did not exert a unique effect on depression trajectories after controlling for cognitive dysfunction. Depression trajectories changed differentially over time as a function of baseline cognitive dysfunction, such that for those with high cognitive impairment, depression scores started high and then dropped to a moderated range and plateaued, but for individuals with low cognitive dysfunction, depression scores started lower and decreased linearly but moderately.

The results suggest a strong need for neuropsychological assessments and evidence-based cognitive rehabilitation strategies to be implemented immediately after TBI in Latin America, which could exert salubrious effects on depression trajectories over time.