The emotional health of those who suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is at risk to other mental wellness issues. This is according to new research, published online in June in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, which found that at least half of people with PTSD also suffer from depression.
Based on the findings of 57 studies that included more than 6,600 civilians and military personnel who suffered from PTSD, the researchers found that 52% of those studied also had symptoms of depression. When your wellbeing is affected by PTSD, you can experience symptoms of avoidance behaviours and flashbacks to bad memories. This anxiety disorder usually stems from a traumatic event, but there are multiple causes of depression. In addition to the harrowing effects of PTSD, depression can add symptoms of lingering and overwhelming sadness and hopelessness, and even thoughts of suicide.
Up until now, it was estimated that anywhere from 20% to 80% of people with PTSD also had depression, but the researchers in Case Western Reserve University’s department of psychological sciences have narrowed this number down. The research team also reported that their new analysis is proof that rates of depression are similar among men and women with PTSD, and shows the need to routinely assess patients for both depression and PTSD.
In a university news release, lead investigator Nina Rytwinski commented, ‘If individuals do not get a comprehensive assessment of what’s bothering them, one or the other can be missed.’ She added that the study results show that the way in which men are treated needs to be improved. As it stands, wellness experts tend to more frequently identify depression in women, and often misattribute the same symptoms to PTSD in men. Rytwinski noted, ‘The biases against men with PTSD symptoms put them at risk for underdiagnosis and undertreatment of a major depressive disorder.’
This study comes after the recent announcement that people who experience post-traumatic stress disorder following a heart attack may find it hard to get a good night’s sleep. The researchers from Columbia University Medical Centre noted that poor sleep is typical among PTSD patients, which may help explain the association between heart attack-induced PTSD and worse sleep quality. However, this study, which was published in the Annals of Behavioural Medicine, did find a difference in gender, as it revealed that women were more likely to be affected by poor sleep following a heart attack.