KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018
Mental Health Nursing
Easy
The most common psychiatric disorder after head injury is?
Appeared in: KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018
Explanation
- Depression is the most frequently diagnosed psychiatric disorder following a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
- Evidence shows that the risk is highest within the first year post-injury, with studies indicating that approximately 30-50% of patients may develop depression.
- The development of post-TBI depression is multifactorial, stemming from direct injury to the brain's mood-regulating circuits (like the frontal-limbic system), as well as psychological reactions to pain, disability, and life changes.
- Its high prevalence makes routine screening for depression a critical component of post-TBI care.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: Mania is a possible but relatively uncommon outcome of TBI. It is much less frequent than depression.
- Option B: The new onset of schizophrenia or a related psychotic disorder after a head injury is considered a rare event.
- Option D: While Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a significant and common complication of TBI, its prevalence is generally lower than that of depression. The traumatic event causing the TBI can certainly lead to PTSD, but depression remains more common overall.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: Safe nursing care depends on performing Psychiatric complications of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the correct sequence, documenting the action clearly, and monitoring for the expected response.
- Nurses play a vital role in screening all TBI patients for depression using validated tools like the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) during hospitalization and at follow-up appointments.
- Early identification and referral for mental health treatment are crucial, as post-TBI depression can significantly hinder rehabilitation, worsen functional outcomes, and increase the risk of suicide.
- Patient and family education about the signs of depression (e.g., persistent low mood, loss of interest, sleep changes, hopelessness) is a key nursing intervention to promote early reporting and intervention.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the core of the question: it asks for the 'most common' psychiatric issue after a 'head injury'.
- This is a factual recall question that requires knowledge of the epidemiology of post-TBI complications.
- Consider the options provided: Mania, Schizophrenia, Depression, and PTSD.
- Mentally compare the relative frequencies of these conditions. While all are possible, one is significantly more prevalent than the others.
- Recall that mood disorders are the most frequent psychiatric sequelae of TBI.
- Between the mood disorder (Depression) and the trauma-related disorder (PTSD), recognize that depression has a higher incidence in the post-TBI population, making it the correct answer.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Psychiatric complications of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Stem keywords: psychiatric disorder, head injury
- Lead-in keywords: most common
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QzZ1LSWTNgd2JA0YhbZygh
Reference Book
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 1805-1807, 1817-1819, 1806-1808
Practise the full KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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