PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION AMONG PATIENTS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY IN IRAN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Patients with spinal cord injury are prone to depression due to low quality of life and dependence on others to perform daily activities. Various studies conducted in Iran to estimate the prevalence of depression in these patients have reported different results. The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of depression in spinal cord injury patients in Iran.

Magiran, SID, PubMed, Scopus, and ISI databases were searched until January 2022 with keywords depression, spinal cord injury, and synonyms. All observational studies published in Persian and English that reported the prevalence or frequency of depression were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed with random effects model and meta-regression. Heterogeneity was evaluated with Cochran's Q test and I2 statistic.

 Seven studies with a sample size of 1517 people were included in the analysis. The overall prevalence of depression was 43% (95% confidence interval: 30-57). Based on the meta-regression analysis, there was no relationship between the prevalence of depression, the year of publication of the articles, and the sample size. Publication bias was not significant (p=0.0505).

 Nearly half of spinal cord injury patients in Iran suffer from depression. Considering that depression can make them prone to suicidal thoughts and other mental problems and reduce their quality of life and adherence to treatment, it seems necessary to identify people at risk to provide more health care.