Teens With Multiple Concussions Face Higher Risk of Suicidal Thoughts

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by HealthDay.

A year after suffering a concussion, teens, especially boys, are more likely than their peers to think about, plan, and even attempt suicide, new research finds.

With more concussions, the risk grows.

Teen boys who reported two or more concussions in the past year were two times more likely to report a suicide attempt than those who had one concussion. Girls’ odds for suicidal behaviors were similar regardless of concussion history.

“This type of research is never easy to discuss, but it is vitally important to understand who is at risk and why,” study co-author Steve Broglio, director of the University of Michigan Concussion Center, said in a university news release.

The findings were published in the Journal of Athletic Training.

Lead author Jacob Kay, a research affiliate at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health, said it was already known that brain injuries can touch off or worsen mental health challenges.

“Our study further highlights the importance of evaluating mental health among both male and female youth that have sustained a concussion,” he said in the news release. “This is particularly true for those who have sustained multiple concussions in a short time.”

Among key findings, based on teens’ own reporting:

• 15% of students had one or more concussions, and 6% had two or more in the past year. That included 17% of boys and 13% of girls.
• 44% of girls and 24% of boys reported feeling sad or hopeless.
• 24% of girls and 13% of boys had suicidal thoughts.
• 19% of girls and 10% of boys reported planning suicide.
• 10% of girls and 5% of boys reported a suicide attempt, and 3% of girls and 1% of boys reported being injured during the attempt.

Source: HealthDay
https://www.healthday.com/health-news/neurology/teen-with-multiple-concussions-face-higher-risk-of-suicidal-thoughts