New findings from the Drake Football Study reveal women’s players are nearly twice as likely to report sport-related psychological distress after each surgery.Launched in 2019, the Drake Football Study is a 10-year project tracking the physical and mental health of around 170 men’s and women’s footballers – from their playing careers and transitioning through to retirement.The latest sub-study paper, Unmasking Mental Health Symptoms in Female Professional Football Players, also looked at eating disorders amongst women footballers. 20% said to have experienced eating disorders in the last 12 months. Kenya Police set to learn of CAF Champions League qualifiers opponnetsOf the 74 players surveyed for this sub-study, 55 percent reported sport-psychological distress during the 12-month period (consistent with athletes across elite sports), while three percent reported substance misuse.”We found that the level of psychological distress among these players was quite consistent over 12 months,” said FIFPRO’s Chief Medical Officer Prof Dr Vincent Gouttebarge.Meanwhile, substance misuse was uncommon; substance misuse, of course, is not a synonym to performance in elite sport. The report also shows confirmation of previous findings with regards to how severe injuries and related surgery are likely to induce mental health symptoms.”These kinds of studies are significant because it enables us to raise awareness that elite athletes such as professional footballers are not superheroes – they are human-beings. That means they are likely to report some mental health problems sooner or later during their career or after retirement,” he continued. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8226021##Over the last decade FIFPRO has been at the forefront when it comes to mental health challenges in football, starting in 2013 with a pilot project to help member unions develop and implement processes to safeguard players’ health. Many other support studies have since followed.Raising awareness of the mental health struggles faced by footballers in today’s game is one of FIFPRO’s most pressing concerns.”Players are screened pre-season for musculoskeletal injuries, for their level of endurance, strength and speed, for cardiovascular abnormalities, and the same should apply for mental health,” said Prof Dr Gouttebarge.”In Australia, for instance, thanks to the work done jointly by FIFPRO and Professional Footballers Australia, mental health screening in pre-season is now embedded in the minimum medical requirements. It’s a big step forward.”We’re excited to see the overwhelming support from stakeholders in the sports industry #Fifpro & #FifproAfrica towards this journey. It’s inspiring to witness the entire community of sports people coming together to shape the future of football.#KefwaElections pic.twitter.com/yjr8maw917— Joseph Mwabili (@JosephMwabili3) June 10, 2023
