Associations between concussion, well-being, and personality characteristics among collegiate athletes in collision sports
- 1Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University
- 2Research Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University
- 3Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University
Abstract
Background Sport-related concussion has been associated with adverse psychological outcomes such as anxiety and depression. However, little is known about how concussion history relates to broader psychosocial functioning, including well-being and personality traits that influence long-term psychosocial adaptation. Clarifying these associations may provide insight into individual variability in recovery and the potential long-term psychosocial consequences of concussion. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare well-being and personality traits among collision-sport athletes with concussion history, those without concussion history, and non-athletes. As an exploratory objective, we examined whether the number of previous concussions was associated with well-being and personality traits among collegiate student-athletes with concussion history. Methods Twenty-two male collision-sport athletes with concussion history, 33 male collision-sport athletes without concussion history, and 38 healthy male non-athlete controls participated. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires using an online survey form. Well-being was assessed using measures of psychological well-being, affective well-being, and life satisfaction. Personality traits were evaluated using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Group differences were examined using analysis of covariance adjusted for age and General Health Questionnaire-12 score. Exploratory associations between the number of previous concussions and well-being or personality traits were examined among athletes with concussion history. Results Collegiate student-athletes with a history of concussion had significantly lower Personal Growth, a subscale of psychological well-being, and Empathic Concern, a subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, compared with athletes without concussion history (both adjusted p = .006). Compared with non-athletes, athletes with concussion history had significantly lower scores for Personal Growth, Agreeableness, and Empathic Concern (adjusted p = .011, .002, and .006, respectively), with Agreeableness representing a subscale of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. In the exploratory analysis, no significant associations remained between the number of previous concussions and well-being or personality traits after Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate correction. Conclusion These findings indicate that collision-sport athletes with concussion history may be associated with lower levels of well-being and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. Further research is needed using a prospective cohort design to track well-being and personality changes following concussion to understand the psychosocial consequence of sport-related concussion.
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BibTeX
@article{ogusu2026associations,
title = {{Associations between concussion, well-being, and personality characteristics among collegiate athletes in collision sports}},
author = {Ryunosuke Ogusu and Masafumi Terada and Tadashi Suga and Hayato Tsukamoto and Yuki Kusagawa and Tadao Isaka},
journal = {BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s13102-026-01897-1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-026-01897-1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Associations between concussion, well-being, and personality characteristics among collegiate athletes in collision sports
AU - Ryunosuke Ogusu
AU - Masafumi Terada
AU - Tadashi Suga
AU - Hayato Tsukamoto
AU - Yuki Kusagawa
AU - Tadao Isaka
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
DO - 10.1186/s13102-026-01897-1
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-026-01897-1
AB - Background Sport-related concussion has been associated with adverse psychological outcomes such as anxiety and depression. However, little is known about how concussion history relates to broader psychosocial functioning, including well-being and personality traits that influence long-term psychosocial adaptation. Clarifying these associations may provide insight into individual variability in recovery and the potential long-term psychosocial consequences of concussion. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare well-being and personality traits among collision-sport athletes with concussion history, those without concussion history, and non-athletes. As an exploratory objective, we examined whether the number of previous concussions was associated with well-being and personality traits among collegiate student-athletes with concussion history. Methods Twenty-two male collision-sport athletes with concussion history, 33 male collision-sport athletes without concussion history, and 38 healthy male non-athlete controls participated. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires using an online survey form. Well-being was assessed using measures of psychological well-being, affective well-being, and life satisfaction. Personality traits were evaluated using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Group differences were examined using analysis of covariance adjusted for age and General Health Questionnaire-12 score. Exploratory associations between the number of previous concussions and well-being or personality traits were examined among athletes with concussion history. Results Collegiate student-athletes with a history of concussion had significantly lower Personal Growth, a subscale of psychological well-being, and Empathic Concern, a subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, compared with athletes without concussion history (both adjusted p = .006). Compared with non-athletes, athletes with concussion history had significantly lower scores for Personal Growth, Agreeableness, and Empathic Concern (adjusted p = .011, .002, and .006, respectively), with Agreeableness representing a subscale of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. In the exploratory analysis, no significant associations remained between the number of previous concussions and well-being or personality traits after Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate correction. Conclusion These findings indicate that collision-sport athletes with concussion history may be associated with lower levels of well-being and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. Further research is needed using a prospective cohort design to track well-being and personality changes following concussion to understand the psychosocial consequence of sport-related concussion.
SN - 2052-1847
ER -