Effects of Gender and Concussion History on Depression Symptom Reporting
Open Access
- Author:
- Kim, Emily
- Area of Honors:
- Psychology
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Peter Andrew Arnett, Thesis Supervisor
Kenneth Levy, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Sport-related concussion (SRC)
Beck Depression Inventory Fast-Screen (BDI-FS)
Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS)
affective symptoms
post-concussion
depression
symptom underreporting
return-to-play
gender
concussion history
Sport-related concussion (SRC)
Beck Depression Inventory Fast-Screen (BDI-FS)
Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS)
affective symptoms
post-concussion
depression
symptom underreporting
return-to-play
gender
concussion history
post-concussion symptoms - Abstract:
- The effects of depression following sport-related concussions are a growing concern in medical and sports fields. To better screen for depression among collegiate athletes, analyses of pre-existing depression screening tools, the Beck Depression Inventory Fast-Screen (BDI-FS) and the affective symptom cluster of the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS), are necessary. The effect of these two different neurocognitive depression screening tools on patterns of depression symptom ratings among collegiate athletes was analyzed by a 2 (Gender: Male, Female) x 2 (History of Diagnosed Concussions: No Previous Concussions, ≥ 1 Previous Concussions) between-participants factorial design, with a difference score between the BDI-FS scale and the affective cluster of the PCSS as the dependent variable. A total of 1057 Division I collegiate athletes took part in this study. Consistent with predictions, male collegiate athletes reported lower BDI-FS scores relative to PCSS affective scores compared to female collegiate athletes; collegiate athletes with no previous concussions reported greater symptoms of depression on the BDI-FS compared to the affective symptom cluster than those with previous concussions. In contrast to predictions, no interaction was found between Gender and History of Diagnosed Concussions. Discrepancies found between the two depression screening tools may be indicative of underreporting of depressive symptoms, particularly in collegiate athletes who are male and have had previous concussions. It is important to consider patterns of underreporting to ensure full and proper recovery of athletes for optimal health.