Prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Objectives To summarise the evidence regarding the prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes compared with the general population.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.Data sources Five electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus and SPORTDiscus) were searc...
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| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/10/4/e001867.full |
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| author | Adam Runacres Zoe A Marshall |
| author_facet | Adam Runacres Zoe A Marshall |
| author_sort | Adam Runacres |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives To summarise the evidence regarding the prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes compared with the general population.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.Data sources Five electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus and SPORTDiscus) were searched from 1970 to 2023.Eligibility criteria Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they: (1) were written in English; (2) included male or female elite athletes that had been retired ≥1 year; (3) included a control group or population reference values; (4) reported the time-point prevalence of anxiety and/or depression; and (5) were of a retrospective, longitudinal or prospective, methodological design. A modified version of the Downs and Black tool was used to determine risk of bias.Results 37 unique studies including 24 732 former athletes (2% female) were included in the meta-analysis. The time-point prevalence of anxiety (prevalence ratio (PR): 2.08 (95% CI 1.57 to 2.60)) and depression (PR: 2.58 (95% CI 2.04 to 3.12)) in former athletes was over twice that of the general population. Subgroup analyses revealed former American football players and jockeys had the highest time-point prevalence of both anxiety and depression (PR: 2.24–2.88), whereas the time-point prevalence of depression and anxiety was not significantly different to the general population for former rugby players (PR: 1.13–1.30).Conclusion Our meta-analyses demonstrated the time-point prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes could be over twice that of the general population, with sport-specific differences evident.PROSPERO registration number CRD42022347359. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-603dceb3831842009c41bb353cec7ca7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2055-7647 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-603dceb3831842009c41bb353cec7ca72024-12-18T16:05:34ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine2055-76472024-12-0110410.1136/bmjsem-2023-001867Prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysisAdam Runacres0Zoe A Marshall11Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK2 School of Health & Sport Sciences, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, UKObjectives To summarise the evidence regarding the prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes compared with the general population.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.Data sources Five electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus and SPORTDiscus) were searched from 1970 to 2023.Eligibility criteria Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they: (1) were written in English; (2) included male or female elite athletes that had been retired ≥1 year; (3) included a control group or population reference values; (4) reported the time-point prevalence of anxiety and/or depression; and (5) were of a retrospective, longitudinal or prospective, methodological design. A modified version of the Downs and Black tool was used to determine risk of bias.Results 37 unique studies including 24 732 former athletes (2% female) were included in the meta-analysis. The time-point prevalence of anxiety (prevalence ratio (PR): 2.08 (95% CI 1.57 to 2.60)) and depression (PR: 2.58 (95% CI 2.04 to 3.12)) in former athletes was over twice that of the general population. Subgroup analyses revealed former American football players and jockeys had the highest time-point prevalence of both anxiety and depression (PR: 2.24–2.88), whereas the time-point prevalence of depression and anxiety was not significantly different to the general population for former rugby players (PR: 1.13–1.30).Conclusion Our meta-analyses demonstrated the time-point prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes could be over twice that of the general population, with sport-specific differences evident.PROSPERO registration number CRD42022347359.https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/10/4/e001867.full |
| spellingShingle | Adam Runacres Zoe A Marshall Prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| title | Prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_full | Prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_short | Prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_sort | prevalence of anxiety and depression in former elite athletes a systematic review and meta analysis |
| url | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/10/4/e001867.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adamrunacres prevalenceofanxietyanddepressioninformereliteathletesasystematicreviewandmetaanalysis AT zoeamarshall prevalenceofanxietyanddepressioninformereliteathletesasystematicreviewandmetaanalysis |