The Effects of Sports Related Concussions on Retired Professional Football Players

Abstract

Concussions in the NFL have become extremely important over the last decade. As new information regarding these brain injuries is discovered, there is an increase in awareness on and off the field. Former athletes Junior Seau and Percy Harvin suffered from concussions during their playing careers and there have been lasting impacts when they retired from the NFL. Seau committed suicide while being diagnosed with CTE and Harvin was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Researchers on the topic have found there are significant signs of future mental illness and impairments associated with concussions for retired professional football athletes. For example, there’s an increased risk of depression. It has been suggested by researchers to further the investigation on these brain injuries and come up with new innovative ways to report concussions to help these athletes ease their symptoms. The purpose of this synthesis was to review the literature on the effects of sports-related concussions on the cognitive and mental health of retired professional football athletes.