LAUSR

The physical effects of sport-related concussion (SRC) on the health and well-being of youth and collegiate athletes have been well documented. However, the psychological aspects of SRC in youth and collegiate athletes continue to be largely unknown due to scant research on the subject matter. The majority of studies to date that have examined psychological consequences of injury have done so with those involving the musculoskeletal system, revealing consequential findings. The following review paper provides a synthesis of the literature examining the psychological consequences and effects of SRC in youth athletes, while also discussing future research areas. This paper will review psychological issues such as mood disturbance, anxiety, depression, suicide, and negative coping behaviors that could be detrimental to an athletes’ sport participation. In addition, social support and malingering will also be examined for their influence on motivation and recovery from SRC, including the psychological factors that may emerge from the injury.