Rehabilitation, Education, and SElf-management for Adolescents After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

A Decentralized, Investigator Blinded, Randomized, Parallel-group Study to Determine the Feasibility of an 8-week Smart-phone App Delivered Mindfulness- Based Intervention Versus a Health Education Program for Adolescents With Persisting Symptoms After Concussion/mTBI

Concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a major public health concern. Most adolescents will recover from mTBI without complication; however, a sizeable minority experience symptoms that last more than one most post-injury (i.e., persisting symptoms after concussion). Few evidence-based treatments exist for adolescents with persisting symptoms after concussion. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are effective for treating a wide range of mental and physical health conditions that overlap with post-concussion symptoms. Participants will participate in an 8-week smartphone app-based MBI or a health education program as a control. The study will determine the practicality of doing a larger study to evaluate the effectiveness of the MBI by assessing participants' level of interest, view of intervention helpfulness, and their completion of all the components of the study.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 12-18
2. Structured interview confirming a concussion/mTBI or suspected concussion/mTBI diagnosis according to the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine definition
3. Concussion/mTBI occurred 1-12 months prior to randomization
4. Persisting symptoms after concussion as demonstrated by a score >75th percentile on the Health and Behaviour Inventory compared to orthopedic injury normative group
5. English proficiency

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Parent- or self-reported psychiatric hospitalization in past year or prior diagnosis of a psychiatric disorders or psychiatric symptoms that may be contraindicated for mindfulness-based interventions (e.g., psychosis)
2. Participation in a clinical trial using the Dawn intervention app in acute concussion (e.g., <2 weeks post-injury).