Table 1. Summary of select studies of mental health prevalence rates among spinal cord injury patients.
| Study | Population | Methods and Measures for Assessing Mental Health | Mental Health Prevalence Rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Study | Veterans with SCI (N =280) receiving outpatient care at an SCI clinic. | Review of electronic medical records for diagnoses determined by team psychologist interviews. (Point Prevalence) | 40%=Any disorder 19%=Depressive disorders 12%=PTSD 8%=Alcohol use disorder 5.3%=Substance use disorders |
| Banerjea et al., 20097 | Veterans with SCI (N=8338) receiving VA health care from 1999–2002. | Retrospective observational study of VA and Medicare billing data for Veterans with SCI/D. Mental disorders were indicated by ICD-9 codes recorded by providers over a 2-year period. (Period prevalence) | 46% = At least one mental health diagnosis 27%=Depressive disorders 6%=PTSD 10%=Anxiety disorder 9%= Alcohol use disorder 8%=Drug use disorder |
| Craig et al., 20158 | Adults with SCI (N=88) recruited while receiving inpatient rehabilitation and followed for up to 6 months post-discharge. | Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (DSM-IV). (Point prevalence) | 25% = Any mental health or substance use disorder at 6-months post-discharge |
| Findley et al., 201112 | Veterans with SCI (N=8334) receiving health care through the Veterans Affairs Health Clinics from 2000–2003. | Retrospective observational study of VA and Medicare billing data for Veterans with SCI/D. Mental disorders were indicated by ICD-9 codes recorded by providers over a 3-year period. (Period prevalence) | 38%=Any mental disorder 26%=Mental disorder but no SUD 12%=SUD but no mental disorder 8%=Both mental disorder and SUD 26%=Depressive disorders 10%=Anxiety disorders 6%=PTSD |
| Krause et al., 201075 | Adults with SCI (N=927) recruited from a longitudinal study comprised of patients from three rehabilitation hospitals. | Self-report measures of PTSD (Purdue Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Scale-Revised) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9). (Point prevalence) | 18%=Major depressive disorder 10%=PTSD |
| Otis et al., 201211 | Outpatients with SCI (N=83) receiving care at a rehabilitation institute. | Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV. | 11%= PTSD at some point after SCI |
| Radnitz et al., 199628 | Veterans with SCI (N = 138) recruited from health clinics of three VA medical centers. | Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-III-R (point prevalence) | 54%=Lifetime mental disorder 15%=Current mental disorder 10%=Mood disorder (current) 3%=SUD 2%=Anxiety disorder |
| Radnitz et al., 199814 | Veterans with SCI (N=125) at three VA medical centers. | Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). (Point prevalence) | 22%=PTSD for patients with paraplegia 2%=PTSD for patients with quadriplegia |
| Smith et al., 200726 | Veterans with SCI/D (N=3678) who received health care at VA medical centers from 1999–2001. Veterans with multiple sclerosis were excluded. | Retrospective observational study of VA Allocation Resource Center (ARC) data on Veterans with SCI/D. Depression was indicated by ICD-9 codes recorded by providers over a 3-year period. (Period prevalence) | 22%=Depressive disorder |
| Ullrich et al., 201420 | Veterans with SCI (N=41,213) who received care at VA medical centers from 1997–2007. | Retrospective observational study of Veterans Health Administration National Registry for Depression (NARDEP) data on Veterans with SCI/D. Depression was indicated by ICD-9 codes recorded by providers over a 10-year period. (Period prevalence) | 28%=Depressive disorders 70%=Individuals with depression and at least one other co-morbid mental health diagnosis |
DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual; ICD, International Classification of Diseases; SCI, spinal cord injury; SUD, substance use disorder.