Sport Concussions Put Athletes at Risk for Developing PTSD

Key points

There is a strong correlation between concussions and the development of PTSD.

Athletes, who often embrace images of toughness, may overlook their mental health.

A quarter of athletes experience PTSD and other trauma-related disorders.

This post was co-authored by Divya Bhupal and Robert T. Muller, Ph.D.

“When you start avoiding your emotions, you start avoiding a lot of life,” says Taher Chugh, a general practitioner psychotherapist and director of the Toronto Concussion Clinic, speaking to the impact of posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) on the lives of concussed individuals.

A concussion is a form of traumatic brain injury that can occur when a blow to the head or force that shakes your body is strong enough to cause your brain to hit the side of your skull. M