Dr Phil Kieran: My son's mood has dipped since getting an injury

By the summer, this will hopefully be behind him, and he will be back to himself. Picture: iStock 

My 17-year-old enjoys running and soccer. He was out with friends a few weeks ago and, while fooling around, partially tore his ACL. He was treated almost immediately, but he seems to be making a slow recovery. Also, I’ve noticed his mood has dipped. It’s probably because he can’t exercise. What would you suggest?

Dealing with an injury can be difficult for anyone. However, for a highly active teenager, this can be even more upsetting.

Exercise, or even more broadly being active, is one of the most important things we can do to protect our health. If we could create a pill with the physical effects of exercise, it would be one of the most effective treatments we have for a huge range of conditions, including heart disease, lung problems, and joint pain due to osteoarthritis.

When we exercise, hormones called endorphins are released. These are substances which lead to a feeling of wellbeing and improved mood. 

We know that exercise has protective effects for low mood and also that, where possible, increasing exercise in those with mood disorders can help to improve their symptoms. I often find that one of the cruellest aspects of depression is that it makes exercise so much harder to do when it can be one of the most effective treatments.

Your son has just gone from regular exposure to these “happy hormones” to a much-reduced level, and it’s having an impact. Added to this, he is likely somewhat bored, frustrated, and isolated as his usual pastimes are unavailable to him. All in all, I’m not surprised his mood is low.

Encouraging him to express his feelings around these issues can be helpful. Try to be mindful that offering solutions or showing how things aren’t that bad can be unhelpful, as it can delegitimise his feelings. 

I’m not saying that encouraging and agreeing with all the negative feelings is the way to go, just allow him a space to express himself if he needs to, without judgement.

For people with an injury, it can be easy to focus on what they can’t do rather than what they can. 

The mood benefits of exercise are found in pretty much all forms of exercise, and if he can’t run at the moment, he may well be able to swim, cycle, or do resistance (weight) training. 

Any one of these will help with his leg recovery and also with his mood.

An ACL injury can take weeks to heal to the point where it’s possible to return to sport, but the good news is that he will likely be able to resume all the activities he enjoyed before the accident and participate at the same level. By the summer, this will hopefully be behind him, and he will be back to himself.

For those interested in the health benefits of exercise, I strongly recommend a YouTube video by Dr Mike Evans titled 23 and ½ hours. It’s less than 10 minutes long and is highly informative and encouraging.

If you have a question for Dr Phil Kieran, please send it to [e-mail]