Anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms among injury patients and the association with outcome after injury

Background Injury patients are at risk for mental health problems, which could result in slower recovery and affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL), health care utilization, and return to work (RTW). Objective In this study, we determined the prevalence of symptoms indicative of probable depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their association with HRQoL, health care utilization, and RTW in adult injury patients. Method Data on unintentional injuries in adult patients were retrieved from the Dutch Injury Surveillance System (DISS) and a six-month follow-up questionnaire that included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) to assess depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and items on HRQoL (measured with the EQ-5D-5 L and EQ visual analogue scale), health care utilization and RTW. Logistic regression analyses assessed the association between depression, anxiety, and PTSD and HRQoL, health care utilization, and RTW. Results At six months post-injury, 22% (n = 665/3060) of included patients had scores indicative of probable anxiety disorder (14%), depression (16%), and/or PTSD (6%). These patients had reduced EQ-5D utility scores [beta: -0.26 (95% CI: -0.28, -0.23)] and were less likely to RTW [OR: 2.12 (95% CI: 1.34, 3.37)] compared to their counterparts. Both mental and physical health care utilization were significantly higher in patients with symptoms indicative of depression, anxiety, and/or PTSD. Conclusions In injury patients, there is a high occurrence of depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, which is associated with lower HRQoL, higher health care utilization, and lower RTW rates. These results underline the importance of screening and treatment of these symptoms in this population to enhance good recovery of injury patients.