Concussion and Mental Health: The Mind-Body Connection
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
Concussion serves as a significant source of stress for all patients. Disrupted routines, concern about missed school or make-up assignments, and worry about ongoing symptoms present unique challenges to a child’s mental health following a diagnosis of concussion.
While most concussion symptoms resolve within one month after their injury, a subset of youth have concussion symptoms that last longer.
As many as one-third of youth with concussion reported having elevated symptoms of anxiety or depression after their injury. Among these youth, about half reported having similar mental health concerns before their concussion, while the other half described these mental health concerns as new.
A growing body of research suggests that mental health concerns – specifically anxiety and depression – place patients at an increased risk for persistent symptoms from concussion. Researchers from CHOP’s Minds Matter Concussion Program have found that youth with pre-existing anxiety or depression took twice as long to recover from their injury compared to their non-affected peers.
In addition, youth who sustain a concussion via car accident or other trauma are at risk for post-traumatic stress symptoms like hyperarousal and avoidance.
Left untreated, mental health concerns after concussion are associated with major challenges, including:
From Sports Medicine to best-in-nation Orthopaedic care, the Middleman Family Pavilion offers every resource a young athlete needs.
Fortunately, there are many effective tools and therapies that can help improve the mental health of children and adolescents. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a well-researched intervention which teaches youth new ways of coping with difficult emotions and physical symptoms.
In addition to reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, disruptive behavior, and post-traumatic stress, research has demonstrated that youth who complete CBT report decreased concussion symptoms. This suggests that many children or adolescents struggling to get back to their regular activities after a concussion could benefit from CBT.
Families should be aware of the role mental health plays in concussion recovery. Be open to talking to your child and healthcare providers about the mind-body connection, and ways to improve both concussion and mental health symptoms.
Tips we recommend to families include:
Encourage your child to:
If your child experiences emotional or behavioral changes after a concussion – or their concussion symptoms do not resolve within expected time frames – talk to your child’s healthcare provider and ask about CBT as a possible treatment to promote recovery and improve overall well-being.
Jamie Shoop, PhD, is the psychologist in the Minds Matter Concussion Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
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