Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Following a concussion, recovery can be influenced by a number of factors including age, sex and medical history (i.e. mental health disorder). Literature among adult samples has indicated that a history of mental health disorder (e.g. depression or anxiety), prior to sustaining a concussive injury, increases the risk of the disorder re-occurring following injury. At this time limited literature has explored this same relationship (between mental health history and ongoing depressive and concussion symptoms) within the adolescent athlete population (in absence of concussion). Mental health is just as important as physical health, both are important for adolescent well-being. Documenting concussion histories and depressive symptom presence at baseline (i.e. at the start of a sporting season and in the absence of a concussion) enables clinicians to take a holistic approach to understanding an athlete should they sustain a concussion during their sport season. To address the lack of literature within this population the proposed investigation aims to better understand normative depressive and concussive symptoms (in the absence of concussion). Adolescent athletes completed three questionnaires seeking information about their age, sex, sport details, medical history (i.e. history of concussion and/or depression and/or anxiety) and any ongoing concussive or depressive symptoms. Findings provide normative adolescent baseline concussion and depressive symptom data; this data was used to better understand the relationship between mental health disorders and concussive symptoms, in the absence of concussive injury. Screening was also used to identify adolescents at risk of developing depression, regardless of a concussive injury. Lastly findings provide a foundation and rationale for secondary research projects investigating the utility and impact of proactive mental healthcare interventions for adolescent athletes at risk of depression.