Links between teenage concussion and suicide needs to be better understood, researchers say

Links between concussion and young people experiencing depression and suicidal behaviours must be better understood, researchers have warned.

Teenagers suffering concussion face escalating chances of suffering depression in later life, requiring greater attention on their management during sport, doctors have warned.

While much attention is being paid to the impacts of concussion on professional athletes and adults, Australian neuroscience researchers say teens face a far greater risk from head injuries and may require different management.

Lead researcher Dr Amanda Clacy, from the Thompson Institute at the University of the Sunshine Coast, said the areas of the brain that undergo rapid development during adolescence were the same regions involved in concussion.

Lead researcher Dr Amanda Clacy, from the Thompson Institute at the University of the Sunshine Coast says the culture around concussion is slowly changing. Picture: Warren Lynam

Writing in the Medical Journal of Australia today, Dr Clacy and her team said the links between concussion and young people experiencing depression and suicidal behaviours had to be better understood.

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“Adolescents with a history of concussion have been found to be up to 3.3 times more likely to experience depression in their lifetime than their uninjured counterparts,” the researchers wrote.

Dr Clacy said the current protocols preventing players returning to competition may actually be denying them a chance to heal.

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