A - 07 The Impact of Parenting Styles on Clinical Outcomes in Adolescents Following Concussion

Abstract Purpose To evaluate whether parenting styles (e.g., authoritative, permissive, authoritarian) are associated with clinical outcomes following concussion in adolescents. We hypothesized that permissive and authoritarian parenting would be associated with worse clinical outcomes (e.g., higher symptom severity) than authoritative parenting styles in adolescents with concussion. Method We employed a prospective cohort study of participants aged 13–18 who presented within 30 days following injury. Participants completed a multidomain clinical assessment including demographic, medical history, and injury characteristics, Concussion Clinical Profile Screening (CP Screen), Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS), Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), and the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) at their initial clinical visit. Days to medical clearance were obtained via chart review. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the association of parenting styles to clinical outcomes. Results Thirty-five participants (17 [49%] female; age = 15.20 ± 1.5 years) were enrolled. Results indicated that a higher authoritarian score on the mother-PAQ (B = 2.8, SE = 0.89, p = 0.003) was associated with higher VOMS total while controlling for sex and history of anxiety. Higher permissive scores on mother- (B = 0.01, SE = 0.01, p = 0.009) and father-PAQ (B = 0.02, SE = 0.01, p = 0.009) were associated with worse reaction time while controlling for sex and history of anxiety. No relationships were supported between parenting style and days to clearance. Conclusions The results suggest that adolescents with perceived authoritarian mothers exhibit worse VOMS total scores, whereas adolescents with perceived permissive mothers/fathers exhibit worse reaction time at their initial clinic visit. Clinicians should screen for and counsel adolescent patients and their parents regarding their potential influence on clinical outcomes following concussion.