Concussions might increase suicidal attempt risk in teenagers, a latest study shows.
The study examined the data from the 2011 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey developed by the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada. The survey involved almost 9,000 students from grades 7 to 12 in publicly funded schools across Ontario.
Findings showed that teens who had history of concussions had more chances of getting involved in the acts such as damaging property, breaking and entering, taking a car without permission, selling marijuana, running away from home, setting fires, getting into fights or carrying a weapon
Lead researcher Dr. Gabriela Ilie, a post-doctoral fellow at St. Michael's Hospital, said the study results found that teens with concussion or traumatic brain injury were at "significantly greater odds" of attempting suicide, being bullied and engaging in high risk behaviors.
"These results show that preventable brain injuries and mental health and behavioral problems among teens continue to remain a blind spot in our culture," Ilie said in a news release. "These kids are falling through the cracks."
"We know from a previous study based on OSDUHS data that as many as 20 per cent of adolescents in Ontario said they have experienced a traumatic brain injury in their lifetime," said Dr. Robert Mann, senior scientist at CAMH and director of the OSDUHS, according to a news release. "The relationship between TBI and mental health issues is concerning and calls for greater focus on prevention and further research on this issue."
