What does this research mean for the field?

Mental disorders, particularly cognitive impairments, sleep dysregulation, and drug abuse, are highly prevalent following traumatic spinal cord injury and vary significantly by cultural, methodological, and injury-phase factors, while psychosocial interventions yield inconsistent benefits. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This review aims to assess the prevalence of mental disorders following spinal cord injury and evaluate psychosocial interventions for affected individuals.

June 22, 2026Open Access

Prevalence and psychosocial interventions of mental disorders following traumatic spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on knowledge graphs

Key Points

This review aims to assess the prevalence of mental disorders following spinal cord injury and evaluate psychosocial interventions for affected individuals.
Systematic review and meta-analysis using the Knowledge Graph of Spinal Cord Injury (SCIKG)
Literature sourced from multiple databases including PubMed and Cochrane Central until July 2025
Pooled prevalence calculated using DerSimonian-Laird random-effects models accounting for heterogeneity.
Pooled prevalence rates for anxiety, depression, PTSD, cognitive impairments, suicide ideation, drug abuse, and sleep dysregulation post-SCI were 23%, 24%, 25%, 55%, 18%, 36%, and 41% respectively.
Cultural factors revealed Western cohorts had 30% higher anxiety than Asian cohorts, while self-reports overestimated depression by 40%.
Inconsistent enhancements in psychosocial adaptation were noted across interventions, with no significant effects on coping abilities.

Abstract

Evaluating and addressing the mental and behavioral health issues of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) during the rehabilitation process is essential. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the prevalence of mental disorders post-traumatic SCI and evaluated psychosocial interventions, leveraging a Knowledge Graph of Spinal Cord Injury (SCIKG) to overcome limitations of traditional literature searches. The SCIKG integrated structured ontologies (SNOMED CT, UMLS, MeSH) to enable hierarchical semantic reasoning across mental disorder subconcepts. SPARQL queries identified literature from PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central up to July 2025, supplemented by citation tracing. Two researchers independently screened studies against predefined criteria. Prevalence was pooled using DerSimonian-Laird random-effects models (RevMan 5.4; Stata metaprop) to account for heterogeneity (I 4 > 50%). SCIKG quality was assessed across Coverage, Accuracy, Freshness, and Consistency dimensions From 16,861 screened records, pooled prevalence estimates of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cognitive impairments, suicide ideation, drug abuse, and sleep dysregulation post-SCI were 23% (95% confidence interval (CI), 21%–26%), 24% (95% CI, 22%–26%), 25% (95% CI, 21%–29%), 55% (95% CI, 27%–82%), 18% (95% CI, 12%–24%), 36% (95% CI, 30%–42%), and 41% (95% CI, 8%–73%), respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed significant variations: Western cohorts reported 30% higher anxiety than Asian populations; self-report tools overestimated depression by 40% versus clinical interviews; violence-related SCI increased PTSD risk by 75%. Psychosocial interventions mainly focused on specific subgroups in SCI patients with increased levels of pain, psychological distress, or pressure ulcers. Studies indicated inconsistent enhancements in participants’ psychosocial adaptation, cognitive appraisal, and mental health. However, no significant effect was observed on their coping abilities. Mental disorders are prevalent and heterogeneously distributed post-SCI, influenced by cultural, methodological, and injury-phase factors. Knowledge graphs enhance evidence synthesis precision, revealing critical gaps in assessment standardization. Routine screening with validated, culturally adapted tools is warranted. Future research must prioritize phase-stratified designs, SCI-specific diagnostic thresholds, and large-scale trials of tailored psychosocial interventions. Not applicable.

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