Prevalence of depression and anxiety in top-level male and female football players

Abstract

BackgroundScientific studies on the prevalence of mental health problems in elite athletes are rare, and most have had considerable methodological limitations, such as low response rate and heterogeneous samples.AimsTo evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety in top-level football players in comparison to the general population, and to analyse potential risk factors.MethodsPlayers of all first league (FL) and of four U-21 football teams in Switzerland were asked to answer a questionnaire on player's characteristics, the Centre of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale.ResultsAll 10 women's FL teams, 9 of 10 men's FL teams and 4 male U-21 teams (n=471 football players) took part in the study. The CES-D score indicated a mild to moderate depression in 33 (7.6%) players and a major depression in 13 (3.0%) players. The GAD-7 score indicated an at least moderate anxiety disorder in 6 (1.4%) players. Compared to the general population, the prevalence of depression was similar and the prevalence of anxiety disorders was significantly (χ2=16.7; p<0.001) lower in football players. Significant differences were observed with regard to player characteristics, such as age, gender, player position, level of play and current injury.ConclusionsSwiss FL football players had the same prevalence of depression as the general population, while male U-21 players had a higher prevalence of depression. It is important to raise awareness and knowledge of athletes’ mental health problems in coaches and team physicians, and to provide adequate treatment to athletes.

Entrenamiento psicológico y mejora de aspectos psicológicos relevantes para el rendimiento deportivo en jugadoras de fútbol

“…En los últimos años han aumentado los trabajos que muestran interés en el estudio de la relación entre factores psicológicos y rendimiento deportivo en el fútbol femenino, destacando aspectos como la dureza mental, la autoestima y el control de la ansiedad (Williams, 2017), la predicción de las orientaciones de meta sugiriendo acciones específicas del entrenador (Granero-Gallegos, Gómez-López, Abraldes y Baena-Extremera, 2015), o el estudio de indicadores de salud mental como la depresión y la ansiedad (Junge y Feddermann-Demont, 2016), o los estados de ánimo (Arroyo del Bosque, Irazusta y González-Rodríguez, 2016). Así, parece muy pertinente la sugerencia de Rutkowska y Bergier (2015) señalando que examinar el perfil psicológico de las jugadoras puede otorgar mucha información útil para mejorar los programas de entrenamiento, especialmente en entrenamiento mental y en jugadoras que se aproximan al nivel profesional, tal y como plantea Martín-García (2003).…”

Psychiatric disorders: The psychiatrist’s contribution to sport

“…Importantly these studies have also identified the high prevalence of sports injuries, with reported rates of 20% (Junge & Feddermann-Demont, 2016) and 25% (Gulliver et al, 2015). High intensity training and a maladaptive thinking style, that results in even high achieving athletes habituating quickly to the euphoria of success, have also been linked to depression in sport (Mummery, 2005).…”

“…Sporting injuries have been repeatedly identified in association with symptoms of mental ill-health (Gulliver et al, 2015;Hill et al, 2016;Johnson, 1997;Rice et al, 2016) and especially in younger athletes (Junge & Feddermann-Demont, 2016). Importantly these studies have also identified the high prevalence of sports injuries, with reported rates of 20% (Junge & Feddermann-Demont, 2016) and 25% (Gulliver et al, 2015).…”

“…The QIDS is available in both clinician rated and self-report versions (Rush, Trivedi, Ibrahim, Carmody, Arnow, Klein, et al, 2003). For general anxiety disorders the GAD-7 can also be self-administered and has been used and promoted within sport (Hill et al, 2016;Junge & Feddermann-Demont, 2016). The SCOFF questionnaire (Morgan, Reid, Lacey, Henderson, Freeman, Ewing, et al, 1999) is a 5-item screening tool for eating disorders that has been used across multiple sports in the United Kingdom (UK Sport).…”

Symptoms of common mental disorders among professional football referees: a one-season prospective study across Europe

“…In Finland, France, Norway, Spain, and Sweden, the prevalence of symptoms of CMD ranges from nearly 20% for distress and adverse alcohol use to 43% for anxiety/ depression [5]. In Switzerland, the prevalence of depression in elite male and female football was found to be similar to the general population, reaching nearly 8% for mild-to-moderate depression [6]. By contrast, to our knowledge, scientific evidence about symptoms of CMD among professional football referees is not available yet.…”