Its every parent’s primary concern about contact sports: head injury. Whether head injury causes lasting effects has long been an area of heated controversy, but new research from the University of Copenhagen has just found startling results. According to Rodriguez (2014), this large-scale study—conducted over 23 years—determined that individuals with head injury were more likely to suffer from cognitive symptoms (such as delirium) and to develop psychiatric illnesses. Specifically, risk increased by 65 percent for Schizophrenia and 59 percent for depression. Perhaps most alarmingly, the strongest predictor of these deficits was head injury incurred between the ages of 11 and 15. Though Rodriguez (2014) noted that currently there are no clear guidelines on how to reduce the risk of mental illness following a head injury, the best recommendations include early detection and to follow postinjury guidelines. One way to assess the severity of and treatment recommendations for a head injury is to obtain a neuropsychological evaluation, such as that provided by Specialized Psychological Services. For more information, please see our website.