Adults with Cerebral Palsy Are at Higher Risk for Depression and Anxiety

Although cerebral palsy (CP) is a condition with lifelong neuropsychiatric and physical comorbidities, research on psychiatric disorders in this population focuses on childhood. These researchers used a U.K. primary care database to identify 1705 adults with a CP diagnosis (mean age, 33; women, 47%). During the 28-year follow-up, the investigators examined records for the diagnosis of a first event of an anxiety or depressive disorder.

Each case was matched to three controls on age, sex, and geographically determined socioeconomic status. The patient cohort was divided into those with and without intellectual disability (ID). In analyses adjusting for chronic conditions and frequency of medical visits, individuals with CP had a higher risk t…