Sports medicine - open
Cognitive and Mental Health in Recently Retired Collegiate Football Players: Findings from the CARE Consortium
By Syrydiuk RA, Brett BL, Varangis EML and 6 others.
Abstract
Background
While long-term psychosocial health in football players has been extensively studied, little is known about cognitive and mental health during early sport retirement. This study examined the association between football participation factors and self-reported cognitive and mental health among recently retired collegiate players.
Methods
Participants in the Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium (n = 627; mean age = 25.0 ± 1.7) completed surveys across 26 United States universities (2014-2021) within 5 years of collegiate exit. Measures included Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders-Cognitive Domain (Neuro-QoL), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), SF-12 Mental Component Summary (MCS), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Univariate and multivariable regression models evaluated the effects of lifetime concussion history, playing position, and years of football participation on outcome scores. Proportions exceeding clinical score thresholds were also compared across exposure groups.