Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

Impact of concussions on increased anxiety and depression: A Literature Review

The purpose of this review of literature is to investigate the effects of concussions on anxiety and depression. Concussions are defined as a head injury caused by trauma or force that leads to a disruption in mental status and/or signs and symptoms of a known concussion. Several studies investigated the relationship between post-concussion depression symptoms and cognitive and memory abilities. Athletes who suffer from depression before they sustain a concussion are more likely to have increased depression and anxiety symptoms post-concussion. It has been shown that multiple concussions have been proven to increase an athletes chance of dealing with anxiety and depression. Multiple concussions have also been shown to increase the chances of athletes suffering from long term anxiety and depression in their future. Many researchers used the Beck Depression Inventory Fast Screen test as a way to evaluate the athlete’s depression symptoms. Research has shown that females have a higher chance of experiencing long term effects from a concussion than males. Further research is needed to determine the exact cause as to why females have a higher chance of experiencing these long-term effects post-concussion compared to their male counterparts. Imaging could also be used in future research before and after a concussion to compare the brain connectivity patterns, which could help explain the cause of the athlete’s anxiety and depression symptoms. This review of literature is important because concussion research is ever changing field, and its relationship with anxiety and depression is important for health care providers to understand.