Identifying the Relationship Between Post-Concussion Mental Health and Athletic Status: Is It the Same for All Demographics?

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether athletic status was linked to fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression post-concussion, as well as to explore whether the impact of athletic status on mental health varied by demographics (i.e. age, sex, race, insurance status). The results of this study may assist in identifying at-risk individuals early to help prioritize those who may benefit from early referral to mental health resources. Introduction: Mental health concerns post-concussion are relatively common, with roughly 1 in 3 individuals experiencing these symptoms. It has been previously shown that youth who participate in sports, boys, younger children, white individuals and those with private insurance tend to report fewer mental health symptoms. Methods: A multivariate analysis was run utilizing RCADS scores from patients (and their caregivers) who were seen in the Minds Matter Concussion Program for specialized behavioral health care. This analysis utilized athletic status and demographics (i.e. age, sex, race, insurance status) as independent variables predicting RCADS Anxiety and Depression scores. Results: Data was analyzed and presented in both table and figure form to present the relationships studied. Discussion: In most instances, athletic status was linked to lower mental health symptoms and did not vary by demographic variables. A notable exception was the impact on patient-reported anxiety, which suggests that playing a sport is linked to lower anxiety only for White patients. This relationship was not seen in patients of color. Conclusion: Based off previous research, lower mental health symptoms across demographic variables in athletes was an anticipated finding. However, the finding that playing a sport being linked to only lower anxiety for White patients begs the question about what about sports may be protective for White youth but not youth of color. Future research should investigate the mechanism through which sports may be protective, as well as the unique needs of patients of color to best support them.