Prevalence and correlates of psychological distress among retired elite athletes: A systematic review

Mannes, Zachary L.; Waxenberg, Lori B.; Cottler, Linda B.; Perlstein, William M.; Burrell, Larry E.; Ferguson, Erin; Edwards, Mary; Ennis, Nicole

doi:10.1080/1750984x.2018.1469162

Cited by 43 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 86 publications

(194 reference statements)

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“…53 Further, depression may influence cognitive performance, and thus, was included as a control variable. 54 Analyses using heading exposure as the grouping Open access variable were additionally adjusted for history of concussion. 18 Parameter estimates of the linear regression analysis were reported with 95% bias corrected and accelerated CIs and respective p values based on bootstrap samples, due to violation of assumptions related to normality and/or homoscedasticity.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurocognitive performance and mental health of retired female football players compared to non-contact sport athletes

Prien

Feddermann-Demont

Verhagen

et al. 2020

BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med

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BackgroundAdverse long-term effects of playing football due to repetitive head impact exposure on neurocognition and mental health are controversial. To date, no studies have evaluated such effects in women.AimsTo (1) compare neurocognitive performance, cognitive symptoms and mental health in retired elite female football players (FB) with retired elite female non-contact sport athletes (CON), and to (2) assess whether findings are related to history of concussion and/or heading exposure in FB.MethodsNeurocognitive performance, mental health and cognitive symptoms were assessed using computerised tests (CNS-vital signs), paper pen tests (Category fluency, Trail-Making Test, Digit Span, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test), questionnaires (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, SF-36v2 Health Survey) and a symptom checklist. Heading exposure and concussion history were self-reported in an online survey and in a clinical interview, respectively. Linear regression was used to analyse the effect of football, concussion and heading exposure on outcomes adjusted for confounders.ResultsFB (n=66) performed similar to CON (n=45) on neurocognitive tests, except for significantly lower scores on verbal memory (mean difference (MD)=−7.038, 95% CI −12.98 to –0.08, p=0.038) and verbal fluency tests (MD=−7.534, 95% CI –13.75 to –0.46, p=0.016). Among FB weaker verbal fluency performance was significantly associated with ≥2 concussions (MD=−10.36, 95% CI –18.48 to –2.83, p=0.017), and weaker verbal memory performance with frequent heading (MD=−9.166, 95% CI –17.59 to –0.123, p=0.041). The depression score differed significantly between study populations, and was significantly associated with frequent heading but not with history of concussion in FB.ConclusionFurther studies should investigate the clinical relevance of our findings and whether the observed associations point to a causal link between repetitive head impacts and verbal memory/fluency or mental health.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurocognitive performance and mental health of retired female football players compared to non-contact sport athletes

Prien

Feddermann-Demont

Verhagen

et al. 2020

BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med

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“…Importantly, former professional athletes also suffer from chronic pain ( 2 , 3 , 15 , 66 ), and chronic pain is a well-established risk factor for and correlate of depression ( 67 ). Chronic pain is bidirectionally associated with depression ( 68 – 72 ) in that those with depression are more likely to have chronic pain and those with chronic pain are more likely to develop depression—and the two conditions might magnify each other.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictors and Correlates of Depression in Retired Elite Level Rugby League Players

et al. 2021

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Background: There is considerable interest in determining whether later-in-life depression is associated with lifetime history of concussions or the duration of a career in professional contact and collision sports. Rugby league is a high-intensity collision sport involving a large number of tackles per game and a high rate of concussions. We examined predictors and correlates of depression in retired elite level rugby league players in Australia.Methods: Retired elite level rugby league players (N = 141, age: M = 52.6, SD = 13.8; Range = 30–89 years) completed the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS), Brief Pain Inventory, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale; they also reported on lifetime history of concussions. The DASS depression score was regressed on age, total number of self-reported concussions, years played professionally, CD-RISC score, BPI pain interference score, and ESS score.Results: The retired players reported a median of 15 total lifetime concussions [interquartile range (IQR) = 6–30], and a median of 8 years playing professional sports (IQR = 3.5–11). The proportion of the sample endorsing at least mild current depression was 29%. The DASS depression score was positively correlated with the DASS anxiety (r = 0.54) and DASS stress scores (r = 0.58). The CD-RISC score was negatively correlated with the depression score (r = −0.53). Depression scores were not significantly correlated with pain severity (r = 0.14), and were weakly correlated with life interference due to pain (r = 0.20) and years playing professional sports (r = −0.17). Depression scores were not significantly correlated with lifetime history of concussions (r = 0.14). A multiple regression model, with age, total number of self-reported concussions, years played professionally, the CD-RISC, Brief Pain Inventory-pain interference score, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale score as predictors was significant, with 35% of the variance in DASS depression accounted for. The two significant independent predictors of depression were lower resilience and greater life interference due to pain.Conclusions: This is the first large study of depression in retired rugby league players. Depression in these retired players was not meaningfully associated with lifetime history of concussions or number of years playing elite level collision sport. Depression was associated with current anxiety, stress, resilience, and life interference due to chronic pain.

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“…Being forced into retirement can exacerbate the challenges associated with the transition (Martin et al, 2013). Retirement from sport has been associated with other challenges such as eating disorders (Jones, Glintmeyer, & McKenzie, 2005), low self-confidence (Stephan, Torregrosa, & Sanchez, 2007), substance abuse (Mannes et al, 2019), and even suicide (Malcolm & Scott, 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

Adaptation to Athletic Retirement and Perceptions About Aging: A Qualitative Study of Retired Olympic Athletes

Silver¹

2021

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity

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Self-perceptions about aging have implications for health and well-being; however, less is known about how these perceptions influence adaptation to major life transitions. The goal of this study was to examine how high-performance athletes’ perceptions about aging influenced their adaptation to athletic retirement. In-depth interviews conducted with 24 retired Olympic athletes using thematic analysis yielded three key themes: (a) perceptions about aging influenced participants’ postretirement exercise habits, (b) perceptions about aging motivated participants to engage in civic activities, and (c) participants who lacked formative perceptions about aging associated their athletic retirement with their own lost sense of purpose. These findings provide evidence that perceptions about aging influence athletes’ adaptation to retirement by directing their subsequent engagement in postretirement activities. Furthermore, this research highlights theoretical implications for the literature regarding embodied processes, retirement transitions, role models, and adaptation to new physical states.

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Prevalence and correlates of psychological distress among retired elite athletes: A systematic review

Cited by 43 publications

References 86 publications

Neurocognitive performance and mental health of retired female football players compared to non-contact sport athletes

Neurocognitive performance and mental health of retired female football players compared to non-contact sport athletes

Predictors and Correlates of Depression in Retired Elite Level Rugby League Players

Adaptation to Athletic Retirement and Perceptions About Aging: A Qualitative Study of Retired Olympic Athletes

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