Satisfaction with quality of life post-concussion may reduce the risk of lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries; more studies needed
By Aamy Woldesenbet. This article was initially published in our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing.
A recent study in the Journal of Athletic Training explored the role of mental health in predicting lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries (LE MSK) after sports-related concussions in NCAA student-athletes. Previous research has found that the rate of LE MSK is elevated post-concussion, although the cause of this increased rate is unknown. In addition, poorer mental health is common post-concussion. Study authors Thomas Buckley et al. hypothesized that poorer mental health post-concussion may correlate with elevated LE MSK risk. Their case-control study involved 67 participants diagnosed with a sport-related concussion. The authors used several measurement instruments to collect data on participants’ mental health, including the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), which measures an individual’s overall satisfaction with their life.
Athletes were evaluated at baseline and return to play (RTP), focusing on any indication of LE MSK within a year following the concussion. Surprisingly, the initial hypothesis, which correlated poorer mental health to elevated LE MSK risks, didn’t hold much weight; measures of anxiety and depression did not predict the occurrence of LE MSK after a concussion. On the other hand, findings in the study showed a significant linkage between increased scores on the SWLS and a 36% decrease in LE MSK risks, potentially indicating elevated life satisfaction as a potential protective factor against post-concussion lower extremity injuries.
The study proposes that the significant improvement in life satisfaction and other mental health measures at RTP may be connected to the athletes’ return to team environments or even bias in self-reporting after being medically cleared. Furthermore, the confinement of the study to a specific group of college athletes and reliance on self-reporting limited the generalizability of the findings and calls attention to the possible inaccuracies in the reported mental states of the students.
In conclusion, the research underscores the lack of practical predictive tools that can be used to pinpoint athletes who are at risk of LE MSK injuries post-concussion. Above all, it shows a substantial need for more extensive and diverse studies, including larger sample sizes, that also consider the impacts of mental states induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. This information would be crucial to confirm these results and to deepen understanding of the complex relationship between mental health and post-concussion orthopedic injuries.
