ArticleDrug and alcohol dependence2020
History of opioid use as a risk factor for current use and mental health consequences among retired National Football League athletes: A 9-year follow-up investigation.
Article in Drug and alcohol dependence, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Opioid Pain Medication Use in Athletes.Cureus · 2026Review
- The association between exercise and prescription opioid misuse: A scoping review.Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology · 2024Article
- The Longitudinal Relationship Between Concussion History, Years of American Football Participation, and Alcohol Use Among Former National Football League Players: an NFL-LONG Study.Archives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists · 2024Article
- Pain Acceptance Among Retired National Football League Athletes: Implications for Clinical Intervention.Journal of clinical sport psychology · 2023Article
- Substance availability and use in ex-professional ice hockey enforcers.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- High School Football and Risk for Depression and Suicidality in Adulthood: Findings From a National Longitudinal Study.Frontiers in neurology · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMany retired National Football League (NFL) athletes manage pain with opioids during their playing careers and in retirement, though the longitudinal association between opioid use and health outcomes pertinent to an NFL career are not yet known. This study aimed to assess the relationship between opioid use in 2010 and current use, depressive symptoms, and health related quality of life (HRQoL) among NFL retirees.
methodsFormer NFL athletes from the Retired NFL Players Association initially recruited in 2010 for a study examining risk factors of opioid use and misuse were re-contacted (N = 89) from 2018 to 2019 and administered measures of pain, opioid use, depressive symptoms, and HRQoL. Binomial regression examined the association between 2010 opioid use with current use, moderate-severe depressive symptoms, and average and above HRQoL (physical and mental) while controlling for covariates.
resultsNearly 50 % of retirees using opioids in 2010 currently used. Compared to non-users, retirees who used opioids in 2010 had greater odds of current use (AOR: 3.71, 95 % CI: 1.02-13.56, p = 0.046) and experiencing moderate-severe depressive symptoms (AOR: 5.93, 95 % CI: 1.15-30.54, p = 0.033). Retirees reporting use in 2010 also evidenced lower odds of reporting average or above mental HRQoL (AOR: 0.13, 95 % CI: 0.03-0.67, p = 0.015) compared to non-users.
conclusionsThis study showed that among NFL retirees, early retirement opioid use predicted current use and deleterious effects on mental health, including moderate-severe depressive symptoms approximately nine years later. This investigation further supports the importance of early intervention of pain and opioid use among this population.
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