Researchers examined the records of 2248 college student athletes who had a concussion and examined whether a history of mental health problems and higher symptoms of anxiety/mood disruption before the concussion (at baseline) were more likely to have increased symptoms of anxiety or mood disturbance after concussion, as well as a longer recovery.
About 41% of student-athletes reported at least one symptom of anxiety and/or mood disruption at baseline. Of the 150 distinct concussions, 94.7% of athletes reported symptoms of anxiety/mood disruption during recovery (recovery time=0–96 days). Higher anxiety/mood scores at baseline were significantly associated with higher scores following concussion. Improvement in mental health symptoms varied by sex and prolonged recovery.
Overall, the results demonstrated the importance of mental health intervention following concussion to support the well-being and recovery among college student-athletes.
Full article linked here: https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/9/1/e001446
Reference: Lumba-Brown, A., Teramoto, M., Zhang, R., Aukerman, D. F., Bohr, A. D., Harmon, K., … & Ghajar, J. (2023). Multicentre evaluation of anxiety and mood among collegiate student athletes with concussion. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 9(1), e001446.