Previous concussions increase risk of mental health disability in college athletes

Mental health concerns, particularly anxiety and depression, are leading causes of disability in young adults. Identifying pre-existing conditions that place individuals at-risk for mental health disability may enable health-care providers to increase patient outcomes with early interventions and condition management.

Student-athletes were grouped by self-reported mental health disability status during pre-season baseline physicals. During the pre-season baseline assessment, student athletes completed the post-concussion symptom scale, hospital anxiety and disability scale, short-form 12 survey, and health history questionnaire. A logistic regression was performed to examine the predictive value of previous concussion history, anxiety, and/or depression mental health disability status.

Student-athletes with a previous concussion had a 46% higher risk for mental health disability. Higher PROM anxiety and depression scores were associated with a 1.29- and 1.19-times higher risk of mental health disability, respectively.

The previous concussion history placed collegiate student-athletes at higher risk for mental health disability. Further, student-athletes that had higher anxiety and depression PROM scores were more likely to have self-reported diagnosed mental health disability. Health-care professionals working with collegiate student-athletes can identify pre-existing conditions that may put a student-athlete at higher risk for mental health disability.

The present study identifies previous concussion history and prior mental health diagnoses places individuals at higher risk for the future mental health disability. Identification of these individuals during routine health screenings may improve overall health outcomes.