Child- compared with parent-report ratings on psychosocial measures following a mild traumatic brain injury among youth with persistent post-concussion symptoms

Abstract

<b>Primary Objective</b>: To compare child- and parent-report ratings on the Health Behavior Inventory, Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Short Version (anxiety subscale), Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory^TM among children with persistent post-concussive symptoms following a sports- or recreation-related concussion, overall and by child age and gender.<b>Research Design</b>: Cross-sectional study examining baseline data from a randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.<b>Methods and Procedures</b>: Inter-rater reliability was assessed using two-way random effects model (absolute agreement) intraclass correlations, correlations were examined using Spearman's rho, mean differences were determined using paired t-tests, and agreement was examined using Bland-Altman plots.<b>Main Outcomes and Results</b>: The final analytic sample was 200 parent-child dyads [child M_age = 14.7 (95% CI: 14.5, 15.0)]. Reliability and correlations were modest overall. When considering child age and gender, reliability ranged from poor to excellent (-1.01-0.95) and correlations ranged from weak to strong (-0.64-0.94). Overall, children reported more symptoms but better functioning than parents, and mean differences in scores were greater among females (versus males) and ages 16-18 (versus younger groups).<b>Conclusions</b>: Findings should inform the use and interpretation of psychosocial measures when developing appropriate youth concussion treatment plans.