Concussions and head injuries have been the subject of a great deal of research lately, partially because of the attention brought to these afflictions in major sports. People often think of the long-term effects of head injuries, but a new study published in the Journal of Athletic Training indicates that people who experience concussions are much more likely to suffer from depression in the days following the injury.
The study compared 84 college athletes who were diagnosed with concussions to 42 “athletically active” undergrads who did not have any history of concussions. Both groups were asked to take the Beck Depression Inventory Fast-Screen twice. That first test the athletes took served as a baseline for the researchers, with the second being the means by which they could gauge symptoms of depression.
Researchers discovered that 20 percent of athletes who had suffered from concussions showed significant signs of depression after one concussion, while only 5 percent of the control group showed increased symptoms over time. The issue was especially prevalent among non-white athletes. About 71 percent of the concussed athletes were tested within just five days after they had been diagnosed.
The authors stated that when you consider the likelihood of these athletes having more than one concussion in their sports career, this means they have a compounded chance of suffering from depression. The results show yet another worrying aspect of brain injuries that needs to be considered whenever a person has suffered from some sort of head trauma.
If you have suffered a brain injury in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, meet with a skilled Bradenton attorney at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh right away.