Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

2-2021

Academic Year

2020-2021

Abstract

Introduction: Research has shown that concussed youth are at increased risk of developing psychiatric symptoms as compared to non-concussed youth. Few studies, however, have detailed the presence and severity of acute depression and anxiety symptoms following a concussion in adolescents, specifically. Thus, the current study aims to describe depression and anxiety symptoms in concussed and non-concussed adolescents using validated measures of depression and anxiety.

Methods: The current study includes 284 adolescents (114 cases, 170 controls), 13-18 years of age. Cases included concussed patients at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and controls were recruited from a local, Philadelphia high school. All subjects completed the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Depression and Anxiety (Pediatric Short Form 8b) measures at their visits. Adjusted risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for above-normal limits of PROMIS Depression and Anxiety were calculated for all subjects.

Results: When controlling for sex and a medical history of anxiety, there is a 1.49 increased risk of an above-normal PROMIS Anxiety t-score for cases vs. controls (95% CI: 0.97-2.27, p=0.07). Although not significant, when controlling for sex and a medical history of depression, there is a 1.25 increased risk of an above-normal PROMIS Depression t-score for cases vs. controls (95% CI: 0.84-1.84, p=0.27).

Discussion: Our results demonstrate that acutely concussed adolescents have an increased risk of above-normal levels of anxiety, but not depressive, symptoms compared to controls. These findings suggest that clinicians should incorporate psychiatric screening into concussion care and treatment for their adolescent patient population.

Language

English

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