Don't forget to mind the mind: a prospective cohort study over 12 months on mental health symptoms in active professional male footballers.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

We examined the prevalence and incidence of mental health symptoms (MHS) in active professional male footballers over a 12-month period and investigated if MHS was associated with severe injuries or surgeries.

Participants and methods

Football Players Worldwide (FIFPRO) affiliated national unions invited active professional male football players to participate in the study. MHS was operationalised in symptoms of anxiety, disordered eating, depression, distress, sleep disturbance, alcohol misuse and drug misuse, all being assessed with validated questionnaires.

Results

Of the 101 participants enrolled, the prevalence of distress was 53% and MHS was between 6% for drug misuse and 48% for alcohol misuse. The incidence of distress was 29% and MHS ranged from 1% for a

SUBMITTER: Pillay L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11472507 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature