Researchers from Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in the United States, as part of a scientific team, found that two or more concussions are associated with a higher risk of developing suicidal behavior in adolescents. results published In Journal of Athletic Training (JAT).
The study used data from 28,442 U.S. high school students who participated in a national youth risk behavior monitoring program. Researchers collected information about the frequency of concussions each participant experienced and compared that number to the likelihood of developing suicidal behavior. They found that students who had suffered more than two concussions in the past 12 months were more likely to report a suicide attempt than students who had only one or no concussion.
The severity of suicidal behavior among adolescent girls is not associated with the number of concussions, scientists noted. The researchers further explained that this type of traumatic brain injury can lead to neurochemical and neuroanatomical changes that cause neurological dysfunction and subsequent (immediate or delayed) emotional, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms.
Repeated concussions can trigger an exaggerated neuroinflammatory response, making it harder for the brain to recover. Intense neuroinflammation is also associated with serious mental health conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as suicidal behavior.
Previously scientists discoveredthat students no longer understand fiction.