Every Four-Legged Animal is Not a Dog: Investigating Concussive Symptoms in a Non-Concussed Psychiatric Sample

Persistent somatic, cognitive, and psychological symptoms following an uncomplicated mild traumatic brain injury are often attributed to post-concussion syndrome. However, existing research demonstrates that non-concussed populations also report high base rates of such symptoms. In this study, archival data from 131 individuals with psychiatric diagnoses were analyzed using the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire. Participants were classified into trauma- and anxiety-related disorders, somatic symptom and related disorders, or complex psychiatric disorders. Nonparametric tests were conducted to examine group differences in RPQ total and symptom cluster scores. Significant differences were observed across diagnostic groups, with the complex psychiatric disorders group endorsing the highest total and cluster scores. Across all psychiatric groups, mean RPQ total scores exceeded those reported in multicultural healthy controls and a mTBI sample. The present study demonstrates that PCS-like symptoms are not unique to neurological trauma but are strongly endorsed across psychiatric populations, particularly among individuals with multiple psychiatric comorbidities.