Past history and degree of depression in paraplegic individuals

The purpose of this study was to attempt to collect sufficient data to substantiate the clinical impression that the degree of depression in the paraplegic and his past history are correlated. It was hypothesised that the poorer the past history, the greater the degree of depression in paraplegic individuals. This study was conducted on ten paraplegic subjects from the Spinal Cord Clinic at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, based on data obtained from the administration and scoring of the Depression Scale (D-scale) of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and by the clinical observation by the consulting psychiatrist with the Spinal Injury Clinic. Past history was assumed measurable as 'favourable' to 'poor' by the use of an original questionnaire. The results of this investigation suggested a relationship between a paraplegic individual's past history and the degree of depression. The study was deemed significant in presentation of an original past history questionnaire and in the prediction of future difficulties in the rehabilitation of paraplegics so that preventive measures could be instituted.