B – 42 Does Resilience Change Following Concussion?

Abstract Objective Psychological factors play a key role in concussion recovery, with resilience serving as a potential protective factor associated with fewer and less severe symptoms. While past research has treated resilience as a static trait, evidence suggests that adversity can influence individuals’ perceptions of their ability to “bounce back.” Given that concussion can be a challenging life event for adolescents, this study examined changes in resilience ratings following injury within an adolescent sample. Method Adolescents aged 12-19 (n=949) from the North Texas Concussion Registry (ConTex) were assessed within 30 days following concussion and three months later. Resilience was measured using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Paired samples t-tests were conducted to examine overall BRS score and item-level changes. Direction of change was analyzed descriptively by calculating change scores, with significant change defined as exceeding ± 1SD. Results There was a slight increase in overall BRS scores across the sample (t=2.36, p=.02, d=.08). However, resilience ratings significantly increased in 19.8% (n=188) of participants and decreased in 15.9% (n=151), representing a bidirectional shift across timepoints. Item-level changes mirrored this pattern on four of six items, with three surviving correction (p<.007); 7-12% of participants showed significant increases and 7-12% showed decreases. Conclusion Resilience score changes were observed with notable bidirectional shifts, highlighting individual variability. While some adolescents maintained stable resilience, many showed meaningful change. Future research is needed to clarify how changes in resilience are assessed and understood following concussion. Identifying the factors that drive these changes may help inform more targeted and effective support during recovery.