Melbourne teenager Emma Henry loves playing netball, but in 2019, a ball hit her in the back of the head and she was concussed.
All she could do was stay in bed.
"I didn't have any mental health impacts before my concussion," the now-17-year-old said.
"But during and after, I felt a sense of hopelessness, and I was very anxious, I didn't want to leave the house."
Her father, Bruce Henry, said it very stressful for her family.
"She would break down into tears, and say, 'I've had enough', and you'd walk away, come back again and do what you can to try and pull her back," he said.
What the research shows
Research shows Emma Henry is not alone.
A review of the literature looking at more than 90,000 children who were concussed found children take twice as long to recover from concussion than adults, with one in four children experiencing symptoms beyond one month post-injury.
The research found 36.7 per cent of children who are concussed experience internalised mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress.
It also found 20 per cent had externalising problems such as aggression, attention problems and hyperactivity.
Researcher Alice Gornall said most children recovered within two weeks, but for others, it took much longer.
"We can understand concussion as a stressful event that can precipitate mental health difficulties, or exacerbate existing difficulties for some children," she said.
She said parents should be on the lookout for how their child was coping emotionally after a concussion.
"It can be quite a knock to a child's sense of vulnerability," she said.
Call for holistic response
Professor Vicki Anderson, from Melbourne's Murdoch Children's Research Institute, said the research showed the complexity of concussion.
"It tells us that mental health problems can't be ignored," she said.
Recovery took more than eight months, but Emma is doing a lot better now.
"I finally completed my first full week of school the other day, so I'm really proud," she said.
After speaking to the ABC, she was racing off to the netball court for an inter-school competition.
"It's my passion, I love it and I just can't wait to go and beat some teams today."
