Postconcussive symptom severity, risk factors for prolonged recovery, and mental health history: Pathways of influence in a diverse pediatric sample

Abstract Introduction The objective of this study was to confirm previous risk factors for concussion recovery in a diverse pediatric sample and to elucidate the pathways by which individual mental health factors influence postconcussive symptom reporting and time to clearance. Methods Subjects between 13 and 17 years of age (N = 642; mean age = 15.40; 45% female) were analyzed from a prospectively completed database associated with a multidisciplinary TBI/concussion clinic in the southwest United States. Fifty‐four percent of participants identified as Hispanic, 41% received medical coverage through Medicaid, and 54% were injured during participation in an organized sports team. Mediation analysis using a structural equational framework was employed to examine the significance of both direct and indirect effects from preinjury factors (e.g., prior concussions, female gender, history of migraines, anxiety, depression, attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], and learning disorders) on postinjury symptom reporting (at baseline and visit 1) and time to clearance. Results Higher symptom reporting at baseline was significantly associated with history of anxiety, depression, ADHD, headaches, and female gender. Higher symptom reporting at visit 1 was significantly associated with baseline symptoms, female gender, and history of anxiety. Symptom scores at baseline fully accounted for the relation between history of depression and symptom scores at visit 1 and only partially accounted for the relation between history of anxiety and symptom scores at visit 1. Only history of anxiety indirectly contributed to greater days to clearance through higher symptom scores at visit 1. Discussion This study supports the concept that heterogenous experience following injury is influenced by preinjury factors and extends the generalizability of risk factors to a diverse sample of youth in terms of ethnicity, insurance status/type, and mechanism of injury. Anxiety and depression represent important noninjury factors that warrant considerable attention during concussion treatment and management.