Sport-related concussion is a concern for all athletes involved in sport and recreational activity. At this time, few investigations have sought to examine the relationship between concussion-like and depressive symptoms in an adolescent athlete population prior to the occurrence of a concussion; examining these two symptom categories among a group of healthy individuals is necessary to understand the relationship that exists between concussion and depressive symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and relationship between concussion and depressive symptoms, and various demographic and medical history variables. Healthy uninjured adolescent athletes (aged 13 to 18 years old) completed validated symptom scales assessing perceived current concussion-like and depressive symptoms. Findings indicate that many athletes experience concussion-like and depressive symptoms in the absence of a recent injury. Therefore it may be unrealistic for an adolescent athlete to reach asymptomatic status prior to their return-to-play following an actual concussion. Results highlight large differences in the reporting of both concussion-like and depressive symptoms between males and females. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.M.Sc
