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Mental health and psychological well-being among professional rugby league players from the UK

Nicholls, Adam Robert; Madigan, Daniel J.; Fairs, Lucas R W; Bailey, Richard

Authors

Profile image of Adam Nicholls

Professor Adam Nicholls A.Nicholls@hull.ac.uk
Professor of Psychology/ Leader of the Sport Psychology and Coaching Group

Daniel J. Madigan

Lucas R W Fairs

Richard Bailey



Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to measure depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and psychological well-being among a sample of Super League players, the highest tier of professional rugby league in the northern hemisphere. Methods: Between November 2018 and July 2019, a sample of 233 Super League players completed questionnaires that assessed depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and psychological well-being. Results: Players exhibited normal (85.8%), mild (11.6%) or moderate/severe (2.6%) depressive symptoms. Additionally, players reported normal (67.4%), mild (18.9%) or moderate/severe (13.7%) anxiety symptoms. The mean psychological well-being score across the sample was 25.07 (SD=4.34). 35.2% of players scored below average for this construct. Conclusion: The prevalence of mild depressive symptoms, moderate/severe depressive symptoms and mild anxiety symptoms among Super League players preliminary appear higher than in the general population from the UK. Much more research is needed to understand mental health among elite athletes.

Citation

Nicholls, A. R., Madigan, D. J., Fairs, L. R. W., & Bailey, R. (2020). Mental health and psychological well-being among professional rugby league players from the UK. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 6(1), Article e000711. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000711

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 6, 2020
Online Publication Date Feb 24, 2020
Publication Date 2020-02
Deposit Date Jul 28, 2021
Publicly Available Date Jul 28, 2021
Journal BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine
Print ISSN 2055-7647
Publisher BMJ Publishing Group
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 6
Issue 1
Article Number e000711
DOI https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000711
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3450048

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