A new study led by a doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital suggests that people dealing with depression after suffering a traumatic brain injury could be struggling with a unique depressive disorder.
Findings of the study were published on Wednesday. Researchers now say they hope the study can help those struggling finally find answers.
“A lot of times, people who are suffering from depression after a brain injury, they start to blame themselves,” said Dr. Shan Siddiqi. “They start to think, ‘I wish I could recover a little bit faster.’”
“I’m hoping this will help them recognize that this is actually a complication of the physical trauma independent of everything else that is happening,” Siddiqi continued. “Of course, the emotional trauma is also important, but it turns out, in this case, it’s the physical trauma that is causing it.”
Researchers are calling the disorder “traumatic brain injury affective syndrome.”
Moving forward, doctors say they’re looking to find a unique and personalized treatment for those suffering from this form of depression.
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