Forced retirement from professional rugby was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of reporting symptoms of distress compared to voluntary retirement (OR 2.1).
Cross-Sectional (n=293)
Yes
Does forced retirement increase the prevalence of mental health symptoms in retired professional rugby players compared to voluntary retirement?
Forced retirement from professional rugby is significantly associated with increased symptoms of distress and co-morbidity of common mental disorders compared to voluntary retirement.
Odds Ratio: 2.1 (95% CI 1.2–3.6)
Absolute Event Rate: 32.8% vs 18.9%
p-value: p=<0.001
Rugby has a higher injury burden than other popular sports, such as football. Athletes who are forced to retire as a result of injury are associated with poor mental health. With its high injury burden, professional rugby players might be at risk of mental health conditions associated with injury-related forced retirement. This study aimed to compare mental health between former professional rugby players who were and weren't forced to retire. A questionnaire including the 4DSQ (distress), GHQ-12 (anxiety/depression), PROMIS short-form (sleep disturbance) and AUDIT-C (alcohol misuse) was completed by retired professional players from Ireland, France and South Africa. The questionnaire asked players whether or not they were forced to retire, as well as the reason for retirement. Players forced to retire were more than twice as likely to report symptoms of distress in comparison to those that retired voluntarily (odds ratio: 2.1, 95% confidence interval: 1.2-3.6, p<0.001). None of the other mental health measures (anxiety/depression, sleep disturbance or alcohol misuse) were associated with forced retirement. In conclusion, rugby players that were forced to retire may require support structures and longitudinal monitoring. Future studies should begin monitoring players during their careers to accurately assess the effect of retirement on mental health.
Brown et al. (Wed,) conducted a cross-sectional in Retired professional rugby players (n=293). Forced retirement vs. Voluntary retirement was evaluated on Symptoms of distress (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2-3.6, p=<0.001). Forced retirement from professional rugby was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of reporting symptoms of distress compared to voluntary retirement (OR 2.1).