Concussions in teen athletes can lead to suicide

Suicide and the causes that lead people to commit suicide are a problem to be taken very seriously. Researchers at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center (UTHealth) have found a link between a history of concussion in young athletes and risk factors for suicide. Their work appeared last month in the Journal of Affective Disorders. According to the findings of the study, high school students with a history of sports-related concussions have an increased risk of suicide.

“It’s important to remember that when it comes to concussions, there is no visual test to confirm them. Unfortunately, you can’t take your child for a lab test to diagnose one,” says study lead author Dale Mantey, a doctoral student at the UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin. This study is the first to include a nationally representative sample of high school students, at a time when suicide has been recognized as the second leading cause of death among Americans aged 10 to 34.

Suicidal thoughts for one in five student concussion victims

To find out how concussions could affect the mental health of young athletes, researchers collected data from more than 13,000 middle and high school students in the United States. They asked them to share their injury history through a detailed survey. Among them, almost 15% of the students surveyed said they had suffered a concussion.

Researchers found that students who recently suffered an injury or concussion—within the past year—were more likely to have suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and feelings depressed. Of the responses, 21% had suicidal thoughts and 36% said they had felt sad or hopeless.

Girls more affected than boys

Female athletes were more likely to report all suicide risk factors. They were twice as likely to report a history of medical treatment for a suicide attempt as women who had not reported a concussion in the past year. In contrast, men with a concussion in the past year were twice as likely to report having attempted suicide and three times as likely to have received medical treatment for a suicide attempt.

For Dale Mantey, “everyone should be aware of the warning signs and risks associated with concussions — parents, teachers, coaches, but also the students themselves — if there is concern that a child has suffered a concussion, it is essential to consult a doctor. If a child is diagnosed with a concussion, everyone in their support network should look out for changes in mood or behavior that may be warning signs of diminished mental well-being.”