Transition-Related Psychosocial Factors and Mental Health Outcomes in Former National Football League Players: An NFL-LONG Study

in Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology

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J.D. DeFreese University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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Samuel R. Walton University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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Zachary Yukio Kerr University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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Benjamin L. Brett Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

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Avinash Chandran University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention, Inc., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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Rebekah Mannix Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

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Hope Campbell Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

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Ruben J. Echemendia University of Missouri–Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
University Orthopedics Center Concussion Clinic, State College, PA, USA

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Michael A. McCrea Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

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William P. Meehan III Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

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Kevin M. Guskiewicz University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2021-0218
Keywords:
anxiety; athlete retirement; depression; professional football
First Published Online:
12 Mar 2022
In Print:
Volume 44: Issue 3
Page Range:
169–176
Restricted access

Transition from professional sport to nonsport endeavors has implications for postcareer health and well-being of athletes. The purpose of the current study was to examine associations among transition-related psychosocial factors and current mental health outcomes in former National Football League (NFL) players. Participants were former NFL players (n = 1,784; mean age = 52.3 ± 16.3 years) who responded to a questionnaire assessing the nature of their discontinuation from professional football (i.e., any degree of voluntary choice vs. forced discontinuation), prediscontinuation transition planning (yes vs. no), and current symptoms of depression and anxiety. After adjusting for relevant covariates, having an involuntary discontinuation and no transition plan prior to discontinuation were associated with greater depressive and anxiety symptom severity. Autonomy in discontinuation and pretransition planning are important to former NFL football players’ mental health. Increasing autonomy in the discontinuation decision and pretransition planning represent psychoeducational intervention targets for this population.

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