Tip of the Month - May 2023

The Concussion Issue

The trauma of Concussion is increasing in team sports, whether football, soccer, baseball, ice hockey, and individual sports. It has now become a growing health concern, with one-third of children experiencing a head injury before the age of 13 years. Despite the high incidence rate among children and adolescents, it is, however, a challenge to identify the number of risk factors and subsequent health consequences. Research indicates that children take twice as long to recover from a concussion as adults, as one in four children experiences symptoms beyond one-month post-injury, i.e., delayed recovery (Gornall, Takagi, Morawakage, Liu, and Anderson, 2021). After a concussion, due to either sports or non-sport injuries, children and adolescents are susceptible to a broad range of physical, behavioural, and emotional problems.

According to Gornall et al., children experience elevated mental health difficulties after concussion which can persist several years post-injury. A range of psychosocial factors must be considered to establish the nature of post-concussion recovery, as concussion recovery can be challenging for athletes (2021). Research shows that many athletes report mental health challenges, such as feelings of anxiety or depression during their recovery. Assisting them to seek mental health care after their concussion may help reduce the burden of concussions and improve their recovery outcomes. 

Referring an athlete to a medical professional is a critical first step in concussion recovery. Research shows that athletes who get medical care in the first few days following a concussion recover sooner than those who wait more than ten days to seek care. If the coach thinks an athlete has sustained a concussion, encourage them to seek medical care immediately. Gornall et al. argue that mental health is central to concussion recovery. Therefore, standard follow-up procedures should integrate assessment, prevention, intervention, and then management of the concussion protocol. 

However, further research is needed to establish and clarify the relationships between mental health, post-concussion symptoms and other psychosocial factors. Research results suggest that concussion may precipitate and exacerbate mental health difficulties, thus impacting delayed recovery and psychosocial outcomes (Garnell et a. 2021).

The Concussion Module by the Canadian NCCP provides post-trauma recommendations and guidelines for 100% medical clearance.

References:

Gornall, A., Takagi, M., Morawakage, T., Liu, X., & Anderson, V. (2021). Mental health after paediatric concussion: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sport Medicine, Vol. 55(18), 1048-1058.

Pratile, T., Marshall, C., & DeMatteo, C. (2020). Examining how time from sport-related concussion to initial assessment predicts return-to-play clearance.The Physician and Sports Medicine. Vol. 50(2), 132-140. Posted online January 21, 2021. Published February 14, 2021.

Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC). (2023, May 16.). Concussion Recovery. Canadian Sport Daily. Knowledge Nuggets.

Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC). (2023, May 2.). Seeking care after concussion Canadian Sport Daily. Knowledge Nuggets.