Background: Research has documented high rates of depression in people with spinal cord injury (SCI); however, most SCI research is conducted with predominantly male study participants. Additional research is needed on depression and depression treatment among women with SCI. Objective: Study objectives were to examine depression, correlates of depression, and depression treatment in a sample of women with SCI. Methods: The sample included 51 ethnically and racially diverse women with SCI who participated in a larger study on secondary conditions of women with diverse physical disabilities. Recruited through health clinics and community organizations in a large metropolitan area, participants completed structured interviews that included demographic and disability characteristics and measures of health and health care utilization. Results: Scores on the Beck Depression Inventory–II (BDI-II) indicated that 41% of the women had depressive symptomatology in the mild to severe range. BDI-II scores were significantly related to more severe secondary conditions, greater pain, and poorer health perceptions but not to demographic or disability variables. Nearly a third (n = 16) of the women had scores exceeding the standard cutoff for significant clinical depressive symptomatology, yet only 5 of those had received any treatment for depression in the past 3 months and only 1 had received counseling or psychotherapy. Lifelong depression treatment showed a similar pattern of predominantly pharmacologic treatment. Conclusion: Depression is a common problem for women with SCI, and many do not receive treatment, particularly psychological treatment. Disability-sensitive and affordable depression treatment must be made available to women with SCI.
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Original Article|
January 28 2014
Depression and Depression Treatment in Women With Spinal Cord Injury
Susan Robinson-Whelen;
Susan Robinson-Whelen
1
Spinal Cord Injury and Disability Research Center, The Institute of Rehabilitation and Research Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas
2
The Institute of Rehabilitation and Research Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas
3
Center for Research on Women with Disabilities, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
4
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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Heather Taylor;
Heather Taylor
1
Spinal Cord Injury and Disability Research Center, The Institute of Rehabilitation and Research Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas
2
The Institute of Rehabilitation and Research Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas
5
Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
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Rosemary Hughes;
Rosemary Hughes
6
The Rural Institute on Disabilities, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana
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Lisa Wenzel;
Lisa Wenzel
2
The Institute of Rehabilitation and Research Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas
4
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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Margaret Nosek
Margaret Nosek
3
Center for Research on Women with Disabilities, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
4
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil (2014) 20 (1): 23–31.
Citation
Susan Robinson-Whelen, Heather Taylor, Rosemary Hughes, Lisa Wenzel, Margaret Nosek; Depression and Depression Treatment in Women With Spinal Cord Injury. Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil 1 January 2014; 20 (1): 23–31. doi: https://doi.org/10.1310/sci2001-23
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