More Seasons of NFL Play May Be Associated With Increased Risk of Cognitive Problems, Depression

The more seasons that NFL players spend playing in the league, the greater their risk of cognitive problems and depression, according to astudy published today inThe American Journal of Sports Medicine. Former NFL players who reported more concussion symptoms during playing years were at a particularly elevated risk for cognitive problems and depression and anxiety even 20 years after retirement compared with those who reported fewer symptoms, the authors noted.“Our findings confirm what some have suspected—a consistently and persistently elevated risk for men who play longer and who play in certain positions,” lead author Andrea Roberts, Ph.D., of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said in apress statement. “Our results underscore the importance of preventing concussions, vigilant monitoring of those who suffer them, and finding new ways to mitigate the damage from head injury.”The findings were based on analysis of the responses of 3,506 former NFL players (average age 53 years) to a survey sent by mail or email. Former players were asked about the positions they most often played professionally, the number of seasons they played, and the number of times they experienced concussion symptoms during their careers. The players were also asked how often they experienced cognitive difficulties over the past week and whether they experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety over the past two weeks and/or were taking medication for depression or anxiety. (Cog...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Andrea Roberts anxiety cognitive impairment concussions depression football NFL Source Type: research