In the State of Florida, approximately 3,798 deaths in 2012 were related to traumatic brain injuries. The Florida Department of Health also reports an additional 18,922 hospitalizations resulting from non-fatal traumatic brain injury.
Brain injury can cause immediate symptoms, including loss of consciousness, impaired judgment and cognitive function, memory issues, vision difficulties and more. Unfortunately, long-term consequences can also result from brain injury. Those long-term consequences can include depression and anxiety.
According to Brainline, research has demonstrated that more than 60 percent of people who sustain a brain injury suffer from psychiatric disorders at 5.5 years following the injury. Many of the sufferers did not have a history of depression, anxiety or other psychiatric disorders before the brain injury occurred.
The medical journal RNSA Radiology reports on the link between traumatic brain injuries and depression or anxiety. Researchers believe brain injuries may cause lasting damage to neural signal carriers, which are located deep within the brain. Even in patients who had sustained a mild traumatic brain injury, white matter in the brain was affected, particularly in regions that have been linked to depression. The affected parts of the brain include areas such as the nucleus accumbens.
Brain injury patients need to be aware of the link between their injuries and anxiety. Injury sufferers who are hurt due to the negligence or wrongdoing of others are entitled to receive compensation for losses. This includes compensation for emotional distress and mental issues such as anxiety and lasting depression that occur after the brain sustains damage, as well as medical bills and other economic costs.