Help-seeking behaviours related to mental health symptoms in professional football

Snus use in football: the threat of a new addiction?

The use of Snus, an oral nicotine pouch, is becoming increasingly common in English professional football. As a nicotine product, Snus raises important questions about health and performance for practitioners. The purpose of this short communication is to explain the current regulatory status of Snus, performance relatedeffects, and associated health outcomes. Further, based on player statements and evidence from the general public, we argue that Snus is used as a coping mechanism to deal with the stressors of professional football. Accordingly, the communication concludes with guidance for club-level multidisciplinary interventions to support player welfare, aimed at reducing Snus use as well as future research recommendations.

Elite female footballers in England: an exploration of mental ill-health and help-seeking intentions

OBJECTIVES

Mental health research in sport is almost entirely focused on elite male athletes. However, recent research suggests that elite female athletes are at higher risk for mental ill-health when compared to their male counterparts. Given the recent growth of women's football in England and lack of research surrounding mental health in this population, this study sought to explore the prevalence of, and factors associated with depression, anxiety, and eating disorder symptoms in females competing in the top two tiers of English football.

METHODS

An anonymous online questionnaire pack, which measured personal and player characteristics and included the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), Brief Eating Disorder Questionnaire (BEDA-Q), and General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ), was completed between November 2020 and March 2021 by elite female footballers competing in the Women's Super League (WSL) and Women's Championship.

RESULTS

A total of 115 players completed the questionnaire (63 from the WSL; 52 from the Women's Championship). 36% displayed eating disorder symptoms (BEDAQ) 11% displayed moderate to severe anxiety symptoms (GAD-7), and 11% displayed moderate to severe depression symptoms (PHQ-9). Significant associations emerged between starting status, want for psychological support, student-athlete status, help-seeking intentions score, and mental ill-health symptoms.

CONCLUSION

In summary, elite female footballers in England reported significant mental health symptoms, particularly disordered eating symptoms. Further research should explore the experiences of mental ill-health in this population, focusing on the factors that were important in this study.