An Analogue Study of the Psychological and Psychosocial Processes Associated With Post-concussion Symptoms

This study used an analogue design to investigate post-concussion syndrome and the psychological and psychosocial processes associated with post-concussion symptom (PCSx) reporting. The study examined the role of expectation in reporting of PCSx, the nature of associated psychological and psychosocial difficulties, and the good-old-days phenomenon. Forty-five healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: (1) a control group or (2) an expectation group who were asked to perform as if they had experienced a mild traumatic brain injury. Fourteen psychiatric patients comprised the clinical group. Self-report questionnaires assessing PCSx and psychological and psychosocial variables were administered. It was hypothesised that PCSx would be non-specific, that the expectation group would report greater dysfunction than controls, and that the good-old-days phenomenon would cause the expectation and clinical groups to underestimate pre-morbid PCSx. All participants reported some degree of dysfunction, and the expectation and clinical groups underestimated past PCSx. The expectation group reported more PCSx and psychological and psychosocial dysfunction than controls, resembling the clinical group. The results demonstrate that expectation can cause otherwise healthy individuals to resemble a clinical group in terms of their level of endorsement of psychological and psychosocial dysfunction.