Mental, Social Disturbances Increased for Children With Prior Concussion

Prior concussion, brain injury symptoms/diagnosis linked to increase in odds of current depressive symptoms, anxiety

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 29, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The rate of mental and social disturbances is higher for U.S. children with prior concussion or brain injury symptoms/diagnosis, according to a study published online April 26 in Brain Injury.

Priyanka K. Ramulu, from River Hill High School in Clarksville, Maryland, and colleagues examined the associations between prior concussion or brain injury symptoms/diagnosis reported by parents of children ages 5 to 17 years from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey and current mental/social well-being. Ramulu, who sustained a concussion in a car accident at the age of 15 years, carried out the research while in high school and is now studying neuroscience at Duke University.

The researchers found that 8.7 and 5.3 percent of 2,020 U.S. children had previous symptoms and diagnosis of concussion/brain injury, respectively. Overall, 23 percent of children with symptoms were never checked for a concussion/brain injury; younger children had an increased risk for not being checked after symptomatic head trauma. There was a higher likelihood seen for current depressive symptoms, anxiety, difficulty making friends, use of medications for mental/social/behavioral issues, and mental health therapy/counseling in association with prior concussion or brain injury symptoms/diagnosis (odds ratios, 1.60, 2.07, 1.57, 1.69, and 1.52, respectively).

“Specific takeaways from our study are the need to ensure that all children experiencing head trauma are evaluated for a concussion/brain injury, even in the absence of significant concussion/brain injury symptoms (vomiting, loss of consciousness, mood change, vision loss, and memory loss), due to the detrimental effects of a second head trauma and also the need to ensure that children and their families have proper resources to address the mental and social repercussions head trauma might produce,” the authors write.