Adults with Cerebral Palsy More Likely to Develop Depression, Anxiety

New study suggests that adults with cerebral palsy (CP) are at a higher risk of depression and anxiety. The findings of the study are published in the journal JAMA Neurology.

While cerebral palsy is considered a pediatric condition because it develops and is diagnosed in early childhood, it is a lifelong condition with the majority of children living into adulthood.

‘Adults with cerebral palsy (CP) are more prone to depression and anxiety than adults who do not have cerebral palsy, reveals a new study.’

Little research exists on the mental health of adults with cerebral palsy. This study included 1,700 adults 18 years or older with cerebral palsy and 5,100 adults without cerebral palsy.

Those adults with cerebral palsy without an intellectual disability had a higher risk of developing depression and anxiety. The study relied on diagnostic codes for outcomes.

Adults with CP have an increased risk of depression or anxiety. In particular, these results indicate that this association is driven largely by those individuals with CP with no co-occurring ID.

Future work is needed in community-based samples to fully elucidate the causal mechanisms driving these associations.

Source: Eurekalert