Football brain health: Players more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, study says

Heading has been restricted in children’s football in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, while different measures have been put in place regarding heading in training in the English and Scottish professional games.

In 2019, the ‘Field’ study, funded by the FA and PFA, found footballers were 3.5 times more likely to suffer from neurodegenerative disorders.

The FA has since issued guidelines to clubs on limiting high-force headers in training, such as from balls which come at speed from free-kicks and corners.

The Scottish Football Association has gone further – banning heading the day before and after matches in the professional adult game.

In 2023, the PFA and Premier League set up a brain health fund, making money available to assist former players and their families who have been impacted by dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Those behind the latest study aim to continue monitoring the brain health of the former footballers who participated this time around, and say more research is required to understand what causes brain changes, how symptoms change over time, and try to establish what can be done to help.

“We need to really now take it forward and understand why we’re seeing these brain changes, what the underlying biology is, and what the long-term consequences are,” Snyder added.

“When we’re thinking about our brain health, one of the best things you can do is to protect your head from injury as best you can when you’re playing sports.”

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article you can find the details of organisations offering support via Action Line.