Scottish football’s medical chief has warned that the coronavirus pandemic could exacerbate mental health problems among “at-risk” players.
“Our initial study identified key triggers for mental health issues in football,” John MacLean, the Scottish Football Association’s chief medical consultant, told the SFA’s website.
“These include players at the beginning or end of their career with uncertainty around their new contracts and the prospect of having to find employment and finance outside professional football.”
MacLean sits on the COVID-19 joint response group, which brings together the SFA and the Scottish Professional Football League.
Football in Scotland has been suspended until at least June 10 and all leagues below the Premiership have been declared over for the season.
Earlier, Global players’ union Fifpro’s had warned of a sharp rise in the number of footballers reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression since the game was suspended worldwide.
Fifpro’s survey had found that the number of footballers reporting symptoms of depression has doubled since the sport shut down because of Covid-19.
Fifpro’s study of 1,602 professional players, conducted between 22 March and 14 April, discovered that 22% of 468 female players and 13% of 1,134 male players reported symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of depression.
It also found that 18% of the women and 16% of men reported markers of generalised anxiety. England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland were among 16 countries – all of which have implemented drastic measures to contain Covid-19, such as home confinement – whose footballers were surveyed.
It is a troubling rise when set along another Fifpro study, conducted in December and January while football seasons were still active in most locations globally, involving a smaller set of 307 players. Back then, 11% of the women and 6% of the men reported symptoms characteristic of depression. Scientific research generally finds women report depression and anxiety in higher numbers than men.
Fifpro said that players who felt worried about their future in football were significantly more likely to report depression or anxiety symptoms. Although footballers at the very top level may find themselves financially secure, the average contract length globally is less than two years and the majority experience the same financial considerations as those in other walks of life.