Link Between Scoliosis and Depression + Impact on Quality of Life

Scoliosis and Depression This time of year has me thinking about depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is a type of depression associated with late Autumn and Winter as a result of the lack of – or insufficient exposure to – sunlight and low levels of Vitamin D. And it’s kind of a big deal, affecting 11 million Americans each year.

I’ve talked about depression in scoliosis patients before, and I really want to dive in and understand it better. It isn’t talked about enough in the treatment of, or ongoing care for, the condition.

We’re continuing to see research that discusses the impact of scoliosis on mental health and a correlation with depression in patients. It’s interesting that this needs to be researched. It has me wonder, does depression look a little different in scoliosis patients? Out of curiosity I looked up the definition of stoic and literally laughed out loud because of how fitting it is for our exact type of people: a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining. 😳 Myself included, it’s unlikely that you will hear a scoliosis patient complain too often, and if you do, that means it’s REALLY bad.

What the research is saying…

A Taiwan study found an increased risk of depression in patients with scoliosis. Another study found that adolescent girls undergoing bracing treatment were at risk for depression. Another study found body image issues remain present for patients, with those who had undergone surgery having a more negative perception of body image than patients who had only undergone bracing for years past treatment.

We have documented studies that specifically call out the psychosocial impact and that this should be taken into account in the treatment of scoliosis.

For those who are currently undergoing treatment, based on the research, addressing the emotional and psychological impact is a commonly missing component that, if factored in, can directly contribute to long term quality of life for the patient. One particularly interesting study looked at the relationship between depression and body posture. This study concluded depression can change posture and protrusion of the shoulder. If a patient is struggling with rib hump (see how you can reduce it here), a common aspect of scoliosis, further fixation and depression might contribute to its persistence.