Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Abstract Purpose The current study (1) described the proportion of athletes with acute psychological symptoms, (2) identified predictors of higher initial psychological symptoms, and (3) determined whether psychological symptoms affect recovery post-sport-related concussion. Method A retrospective study of high-school athletes who sustained a sport-related concussion from 11/2017–04/2022 was performed. The main independent variable was psychological symptom cluster score, calculated by summing the four affective symptoms on the initial Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS). Psychological symptom ratio was defined as the ratio of the psychological symptom cluster score divided by the total initial PCSS score. The outcomes included time to return-to-learn (RTL), symptom resolution, and return-to-play (RTP). Results A total of 431 athletes (58.0% female, mean age = 16.2¬ ± 1.3 years) were included and 45% reported at least one psychological symptom. The mean psychological symptom cluster score was 4.2¬ ± 5.2 and the psychological symptom cluster ratio was 0.10¬ ± 0.11. Multivariable regression showed that female sex (B = 2.15, p 0.001, 95%CI0.91–3.39), loss of consciousness (B = 1.91, p = 0.037, 95%CI0.11–3.72), retrograde/anterograde amnesia (B = 1.66, p = 0.026, 95%CI0.20–3.11), and psychological history (B = 2.96, p 0.001, 95%CI1.25–4.70) predicted increased psychological symptom cluster score. Female sex (B = 0.03, p = 0.031, 95%CI0.00–0.06) and psychological history (B = 0.06, p = 0.002, 95%CI0.02–0.10) predicted increased psychological symptom ratio. Multivariable linear regression showed that both higher psychological symptom cluster score and ratio were associated with longer times to recovery. Conclusions Among the cohort, 45% reported at least one psychological symptom, most commonly irritability. Female sex, loss of consciousness, amnesia, and a psychological history were significantly associated with increased psychological symptom cluster scores. Higher psychological symptom cluster scores and ratios independently predicted longer recovery.
Jawid et al. (Sat,) studied this question.