Depression and Risk of Unintentional Injury in Rural Communities—A Longitudinal Analysis of the Australian Rural Mental Health Study

Kerry J. Inder, Elizabeth G. Holliday, Tonelle E. Handley, Lyn J. Fragar, Tony Lower, Angela Booth, Terry J. Lewin and Brian J. Kelly
Additional contact information
Kerry J. Inder: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Elizabeth G. Holliday: Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, NSW 2305, Australia
Tonelle E. Handley: Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Lyn J. Fragar: School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Tony Lower: School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Angela Booth: Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Terry J. Lewin: Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Brian J. Kelly: Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: Limited longitudinal research has examined relationships between depression and injury, particularly in rural contexts. This paper reports cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses from the Australian Rural Mental Health Study (ARMHS) exploring relationships between “probable depression” episodes and unintentional injury. Participants completed four surveys over five years. Multivariate logistic regressions were employed to assess the causal effect of prior depression episodes on subsequent injury risk. Of 2621 baseline participants, 23.3% experienced a probable depression episode recently and 15.9% reported a serious injury during the previous 12 months. Factors associated with a 12-month injury at baseline included male gender, being unemployed or unable to work, being involved in a serious incident, hazardous alcohol use, and having experienced a recent depression episode. Longitudinal analyses revealed that probable depression was significantly associated with subsequent unintentional injury (OR 1.68, 99%CI 1.20–2.35), as was male gender (OR 1.39, 99%CI 1.06–1.82), while alcohol consumption did not mediate these relationships. Campaigns to reduce the impact of mental illness should consider unintentional injuries as a contributor, while injury prevention initiatives may benefit from addressing mental health issues. Such strategies are particularly important in rural and remote areas where injuries are more common and mental health services are less readily available.

Keywords: injury; depression; affective disorder; rural mental health; risk factors; longitudinal analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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