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Study: No elevated suicide risk found among NFL players
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Recently published results showed professional football players with five or more credited seasons of play did not have an elevated risk of suicide compared with the general population of the United States.
Using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health life table analysis system, researchers analyzed mortality for 3,439 National Football League (NFL) players with at least five credited playing seasons between 1959 and 1988. Players were matched to the National Death Index from 1979 to 2013. Researchers also stratified players into speed and non-speed categories to determine if there were mortality differences based on the characteristics of football playing positions.
Results showed players in the NFL cohort had a significantly reduced risk of mortality from suicide, with 12 suicide deaths among players vs. 25.6 suicide deaths in a comparable sex/race/age sector of the U.S. population. Researchers also found the players had less overall mortality and mortality from cancer, heart diseases and assault/homicide.
In the stratified groups, researchers noted six suicides in both players in speed and non-speed positions. Players in speed positions had a significantly reduced risk of suicide vs. individuals in the U.S. referent population, according to results. While players in speed positions also had a reduced suicide risk vs. players in non-speed positions, researchers found the result was not statistically significant. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosure: This study was supported by funding from the U.S. government to the CDC, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
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