Date of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Department

Psychology

Director of Thesis

Mike McCall

Second Reader

Jacob Kay

Abstract

Pediatric concussions represent a significant public health concern due to their complex and often long-lasting effects on the developing brain. Although concussion is classified as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), growing evidence indicates that children and adolescents experience psychological, cognitive, and academic difficulties that extend beyond physical symptom resolution. While somatic and cognitive symptoms often predominate in the acute phase of recovery, emotional and behavioral concerns frequently emerge or persist later, yet remain inconsistently evaluated in standard concussion care. This thesis examines the psychological, cognitive, and academic outcomes of pediatric concussion and evaluates whether current assessment practices capture the full scope of post-injury functioning. Through a comprehensive review of the literature, findings related to emotional and behavioral outcomes, cognitive and academic effects, risk and protective factors, and existing assessment guidelines are synthesized. Pre-existing mental health and learning conditions are consistently identified as predictors of prolonged recovery, underlying the importance of baseline-informed interpretation of post-injury symptoms. Emerging evidence on neurometabolic and cerebral hemodynamics further suggests that recovery is multidimensional and not adequately defined by physical symptom resolution alone. Building upon this synthesis, this thesis proposes an assessment-forward model of care that embeds standardized psychological screening, risk stratification, and multi-informant school collaboration into routine pediatric concussion protocols. Comprehensive psychological assessment is positioned as a foundational component of care necessary to support functional recovery, developmental integrity, and long-term mental health outcomes following concussion.

First Page

1

Last Page

79

Rights

© 2026, Jolie L. Slobodin

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