Page 76 - AN-4-3

Advanced Neurology

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Association between traumatic brain injury and

depression stratified by veteran status: Findings
from the National Health Interview Survey

Md Maruf Ahmed Molla 1 and Roger Wong *
2,3
1 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Graduate Studies, SUNY Upstate
Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States of America
2 Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Norton College of Medicine, SUNY Upstate
Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States of America
3 Department of Geriatrics, Norton College of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse,
New York, United States of America

Abstract

Globally, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major causes of morbidity and
mortality, with increased incidence reported among veterans. In this study, we
explored the relationship between TBI and subsequent screening of depressive
symptoms, with further analysis stratified by veteran status. For this study, the
National Health Interview Survey data for 2023 was used, which was conducted
among 29,522 non-institutionalized U.S. adults aged 18 and older. The patient
health questionnaire-2 was used to screen for depression. Self-reported incidence
*Corresponding author: of lifetime TBI was documented. From a Chi-square test, a significant association
Roger Wong was observed between TBI and depression (p<0.05), with TBI more commonly being
(wongro@upstate.edu) reported among veterans compared to non-veterans. Our regression model indicated
Citation: Molla MMA, Wong R. that, when adjusted for sociodemographic and health variables, TBI was associated
Association between traumatic brain with 1.80 times higher odds of depression among the whole sample population
injury and depression stratified by
veteran status: Findings from the (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.61 – 2.02, p<0.05).
National Health Interview Survey. When stratified by veteran status, veterans with TBI had 2.92 times higher odds of
Adv Neurol. 2025;4(3):70-77. depression (aOR = 2.92; 95% CI 2.05 – 4.14, p<0.05). Compared to the whole general
doi: 10.36922/AN025050008
population, veterans with a brain injury history have higher odds of depression,
Received: February 1, 2025 identifying them as a key group in prioritizing depression management in the United
Revised: April 29, 2025 States population.
Accepted: May 8, 2025
Published online: June 10, 2025 Keywords: Concussion; Depression; Head injury; Mental health; Military; Traumatic brain
injury; Service member; Veteran
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution, 1. Introduction
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is Depression ranks fourth in the list of diseases causing the most death and disability, only
properly cited. behind other serious medical conditions such as cardiac disease, stroke, and acquired
1
Publisher’s Note: AccScience immunodeficiency syndrome. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as an injury
Publishing remains neutral with caused to the brain by an outside force such as blows, jolts, or a forceful bump. TBI, at any
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional point in life, can be a risk factor for future psychiatric complications including depression
affiliations. and anxiety. TBI is usually classified into three broad categories – mild, moderate, and

Volume 4 Issue 3 (2025) 70 doi: 10.36922/AN025050008