Concussion Triples Suicide Risk Later in Life
Concussions have gained attention for their link to dementia, but did you know they also increase the risk for suicide? Just one concussion can triple the long-term risk of suicide in otherwise healthy people.
Concussions increase suicide risk in ordinary people
Although brain-injured football players have been receiving all the attention lately, the typical concussion patient is a middle-aged adult. Most concussions happen not on the playing field but during traffic accidents, falls at home, and in other everyday situations.
A study looked at a quarter-million subjects who had been diagnosed with a mild concussion during the last 20 years. Researchers found suicide occurred at three times more often in people who had a concussion than the rest of the population. They also found that on average suicide occurred nearly six years after the concussion.
What’s interesting is the risk of suicide increases four-fold if the concussion happens on the weekend. Researchers think this is because people don’t seek or put off medical care on the weekend.
This risk was independent of demographics or previous psychiatric conditions, and the risk increased with additional concussions.