ArticleBritish journal of sports medicine2024
Depression and anxiety-related disorders and suicide among Swedish male elite football players: a nationwide cohort study.
Article in British journal of sports medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Does sports participation reduce disparities in anxiety and depression symptoms among sexual minority and heterosexual undergraduate students? A cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Kumanu Tāngata: the aftermatch study - protocol to examine the health outcomes of high-level male rugby union players using linked administrative data.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2024Article
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8 authors.
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Abstract
objectiveTo assess whether male elite football players, during and after their active career, were at increased risk of depression and anxiety-related disorders and suicide, as compared with the general male population.
methodsWe included male football players active in the Swedish top division 1924-2019 and general male population (matched to football players based on age and region of residence) aged <65 years in 1997. Using nationwide registers, we followed the football players from their first season in the top division (or the date of their first registered residency in Sweden) or 1 January 1997, and compared the risk of depression and anxiety-related disorders (captured through diagnoses from hospital admissions and outpatient visits, and use of prescription drugs) among football players versus controls. In a secondary analysis using data from death certificates, we compared the risk of suicide between football players and general population males who were alive in 1969 (when cause of death became available) .
resultsDuring follow-up through 31 December 2020, 504 (13.6%) of 3719 football players and 7455 (22.3%) of 33 425 general population males had a depression or anxiety-related disorder. In analyses accounting for age, region of residence and calendar time, the risk of anxiety and depression-related disorders was lower among football players versus general population males (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.66). The protective association was attenuated with increasing age, and from around age 70 years the risk was similar in the two groups. The risk of suicide was lower among football players versus general population males (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.72).
conclusionsIn this nationwide cohort study in Sweden, elite male football players had a lower risk of depression and anxiety-related disorders and suicide as compared with the general population.
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