A-65 Early Academic Stress and Problems are Associated with Concussion Symptom Burden Across Recovery

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Concussion symptoms are associated with initial academic concerns in youth. We hypothesized that early academic stress and difficulty would be associated with greater symptom burden across recovery visits. Methods 200 patients aged 8 to 18 (M age=14.4±2.2, 51% female, 67% white) with a concussion completed the Concussion Learning Assessment and School Survey, 3rd Edition (CLASS-3) at first visit, a validated self-reported rating scale of academic problems (AP; 14 items) and school stresses (SS; 6 items) along with the developmentally appropriate Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory-2 (PCSI-2), which generates Retrospectively-Adjusted Post-Injury Difference (RAPID) symptom scores by 8-12 and 13-18 age groups. Subgroups of participants completed the PCSI-2 only at visit 2 (n=128) and at visit 3 (n=29). Results There were significant positive partial correlations (p<.05), controlling for age and sex, between CLASS-3 scores and the PCSI-2 RAPID scores in the 8-12 age group for AP (V1 r=.60 and V2 r=.42) and SS (V1 r=.33 and V2 r=.34) and in the 13-18 group for AP (V1 r=.72, V2 r=.51, V3 r=.52) and SS (V1 r=.50, V2 r=.49). The effect was moderate, but not statistically significant due small sample sizes, at visit 3 in 8-12 group (AP V3 r=.50; SS r= .41) and in the 13-18 group for SS (r=.34). Conclusions Students with higher early academic problems and school stresses reported higher symptom burden over time. These results suggest that early academic supports to mitigate school problems and stress may subsequently lessen symptom burden across the course of recovery.