Year: 2026
Type: review
Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis
Abstract: Sport-related concussions (SRC) are a common form of mild traumatic brain injury that can impair both physical and psychological functioning in the days and weeks following injury. While long-term mental health outcomes have been widely investigated, less is known about short-term emotional effects, particularly depressive symptoms. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether athletes experience higher levels of depression during the acute phase after SRC compared with healthy individuals or those with musculoskeletal injuries. PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched in January 2025, and ten studies met inclusion criteria (total N = 645). Pooled random-effects analyses indicated a small-to-moderate increase in depressive symptoms among concussed athletes compared with controls (g = 0.41, p = .031). The effect was stronger when compared with healthy athletes than with musculoskeletal-injured athletes, suggesting that early mood changes may reflect a general psychological response to injury rather than a concussion-specific mechanism. Neither assessment timing nor depression scale moderated the effect. These findings underscore the importance of early psychological screening and emotional support as integral components of post-concussion management.
Institutions: University of Padua, Azienda Ospedale - Università Padova
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7203580481