Antidepressant Use Not Linked to Complications of TBI

THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Antidepressants are not associated with serious complications of traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a study published online Jan. 28 in Neurology.Jussi P. Posti, M.D., Ph.D., from Turku University Hospital in Finland, and colleagues conducted a nationwide, retrospective cohort study involving patients aged 16 years and older admitted with TBI in Finland between 2005 and 2018 to examine the association between preinjury antidepressant use, antidepressant type, and serotonergic profile and the short-term outcome of TBI. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality, and acute neurosurgical operations (ANOs) and length of hospitalization were included as secondary outcomes.Overall, 14.3 percent of 54,876 patients with TBI were taking antidepressants at the time of injury. The researchers observed no significant association between antidepressant use and 30-day mortality in adjusted models (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.98; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.90 to 1.07; P = 0.696). No association was seen for serotonergic profile or type of antidepressant with mortality. The likelihood of ANOs was significantly lower for antidepressant users (adjusted relative risk, 0.89; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.82 to 0.97; P = 0.007). No difference was seen between the groups in length of hospitalization. The association for vitamin K antagonist use with increased mortality or ANOs was not modified by antidepressant use, profile, or type in the interaction analyses."These findings provide reassurance for people who take antidepressants that antidepressant use does not appear to worsen early recovery after traumatic brain injury," Posti said in a statement. "Future studies should examine whether these results hold true for long-term recovery and across different health care settings."Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Antidepressant Use Not Linked to Complications of TBI

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