Study Finds Children with Brain Injuries are at Higher Risk of Depression

Concussions and other types of traumatic brain injuries have a number of negative physical consequences on youth health. In a new study presented at a national American Academy of Pediatrics conference in Florida, researchers looked at ways to identify how prevalent depression is in children with brain injuries in the United States. Taking data from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, more than 2,000 children with traumatic brain injuries were identified as well as more than 3,100 children with diagnosed depression.
The study found that 15 percent of the children with brain injuries or concussions were also diagnosed with depression. Researchers concluded that depression is two times more likely in children with brain injuries or concussions. This is the largest study to look at the connection between brain injury and depression in children and teens. Researchers hope that the study’s findings may improve how children with brain injuries are identified and treated for depression.

Children and Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability in children and teens in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The two age groups at greatest risk for TBI are age 0 to 4 and 15 to 19. In both those age groups, 62,000 children sustain brain injuries requiring hospitalization as a result of car accidents, falls, sports injuries, physical abuse, etc. Also, 564,000 children each year are seen in hospital emergency departments for brain injuries and released. Among children 0 to 14 years of age, brain injuries results in 2,685 deaths, 37,000 hospitalizations and 435,000 emergency department visits each year.
Compensation for Brain Injury Victims
If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury as the result of someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our skilled personal injury lawyers have a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Verdicts of $43,940,000 and $23,500,000 have been recovered for our clients.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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Source: Edweek.org