Head Impacts and Concussions: The Hidden Piece of the Suicide Puzzle

Sunday, October 20, 2024

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET

Location: 258A

Submitter and Speaker(s)

Stephanie Samuels, MA, MSW, LCSW

Psychotherapist and Director/Founder of CopLine
The Counseling and Critical Incident Debriefing Center / CopLine
Freehold, New Jersey, United States

Speaker(s)

Daniel Daneshvar, M.D., Ph.D.

Chief of Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
William Evans, MS

Executive Director of Public Safety & Chief of Police
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States
Beth Murphy, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical Director, Mood, Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma Track, LEADER Outpatient Clinic
McLean Hospital
Belmont, Massachusetts, United States

Emerging research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in professional athletes and law enforcement officers can now be used to help current officers better understand some of the mental health struggles they experience. These include behavioral, mood, cognitive, and motor changes that many times have been associated with only mental health or neurological conditions. Research has shown that repetitive head impacts (RHI), concussions, and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can cause symptoms that mimic those associated with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Attendees will leave this talk with knowledge about CTE pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis, and comorbidities. This information will provide new insight into oﬃcer mental health and best practices for the law enforcement community, including as they related to officer retention and suicide prevention.