Providing a clearer insight into how sport-related concussion and physical pain impact mental health, cognition, and quality of life

Abstract

Sport-related concussion (SRC) and physical pain are both associated with poor mental health, impaired cognition, and reduced quality of life. Despite SRC and physical pain often co-occurring, there is little research that investigates these two factors together, and therefore it is difficult to conclude which of these contributes to the negative outcomes associated with them. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of SRC and physical pain on mental health, cognitive ability, and quality of life. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory while the SF-12 recorded health-related quality of life. A trail making task (TMT) assessed cognitive flexibility of participants. Analysis of 83 participants (43 concussed) revealed that SRC led to reduced accuracy on TMT(A) and (B), whereas physical pain was responsible for poorer mental health and reduced quality of life. This study highlights the influence that SRC has on cognitive ability and the impact that physical pain has on mental health and quality of life. With this information, we are better placed to predict the negative consequences of SRC and physical pain and therefore tailor support accordingly.

Developing a simple risk metric for the effect of sport-related concussion and physical pain on mental health

“…Therefore, although the odds ratios at first present one aspect of the data, the confidence intervals provide a more holistic picture, and that is the message we want our readers to take. As well as the risk that SRC poses to mental health, the present study also supports prior research that indicates the danger of experiencing physical pain [6,62] which is common in sport and therefore justifying the development of a simple risk metric. From our analysis, we identified that participants were 1.38 times more likely to be depressed for every increasing score of physical pain reported using the NRS-11.…”

“…This may be due to prevalence rates ranging from 21% in the USA [1] and 43% in the UK [2] in young adults that visibly exceed the 3.8% of the general population that suffer from the disorder [3]. Several risk factors are commonly reported, including biological sex [2,4], physical pain [5][6][7], and sport-related concussion [SRC; [8][9][10]. Despite these links, it is continuously reported that athletes will accept the risk of experiencing physical pain [11][12][13] and sustaining SRC [14] when competing.…”

“…Many athletes and non-athletes [29] live daily with acute physical pain. From a sporting perspective, physical pain is often reported as a risk factor for depressive symptoms in sportspeople [2,6,7] due to the prevalence of increased pain within contact sports [30,31]. Athletes from contact sports regularly continue through the pain barrier [11] perhaps due to a culture of being perceived as weak or in fear of the prospect of losing their position in the team during their absence [32].…”

“…It is also normal for people to experience everyday pain such as headache [38] or musculoskeletal pain [39,40]. With the knowledge that athletes and non-athletes experience physical pain, and that this pain is associated with poorer mental health [6], we must protect them from physical pain where possible. Non-athletes that suffer from musculoskeletal pain or headaches may not have engaged in behaviours that encouraged this.…”