Refocusing Care in Girls with Post-concussion Symptoms

Nick Reed, MScOT, PhD, OT Reg (Ont)

Children and youth with concussion are often asked “how is your headache?” but perhaps instead they should be asked, “what do you need, want and love to do?”

Concussion care often focuses on post-concussion symptoms, but for many with a concussion it is the impact that these symptoms have on their ability to engage in daily activities that can be of most concern. Our research team at the University of Toronto asked female youth with a concussion what are the activities that they are having the most issues engaging with - what they need, want or love to do - however, as result of their concussion, they cannot. Published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy, our study found that female youth with concussion had difficulty engaging in a wide range of activities. “Many of the youth expressed difficulty returning to sports and school, which was to be expected, however what was most interesting was the wide range of other activities identified by our study participants - everything from watching movies, engaging in the arts, having sleepovers with friends, even daily hydration and nutrition,” said Dr. Anne Hunt, one of the study authors.

A takeaway from this study is that the lives of children can be impacted by concussion in many ways and that concussion care should focus on what children can and cannot do, rather than only post-concussion symptoms. So next time you are helping a child with a concussion, instead of asking about their symptoms, perhaps ask “what do you need, want and love to do?” After all, if you don’t ask, you won’t know, and you can’t help.

References

Sang, RC, Vawda Y, et al. An Innovative approach to measuring youth concussion recovery: Occupational performance. British Journal of Occupational Therapy (Epub ahead of print). 2019; https://doi. org/10.1177/0308022619851415

Author Bio

Nick Reed, MScOT, PhD, OT Reg (Ont), completed his Bachelor of Kinesiology at McMaster University, his Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto, and his PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Toronto. He is an Associate Professor within the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and a member of the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute at the University of Toronto. His work focuses on developing, delivering and evaluating research, educational and clinical programming specific to youth and concussion. His passion is helping youth do the things they need, want and love to do in their lives.