Study finds association between rugby concussions and mental health issues

By Gigi Paulig

In an article for The Guardian, Andy Bull recapitulates a study performed by the UK rugby health project, published in Sports Medicine. Hind et al. recruited 189 retired rugby players and 65 retired non-contact sport players for this study between 2016 and 2018. The study found an association between repeated concussions in rugby and having mental health issues – such as increased irritability, depression, and extreme mood changes during retirement. The study found that “professional rugby players are more likely to have mental health issues in retirement than athletes in non-contact sports.”

Players with three or more concussions “scored significantly worse for psychological signs of depression and anxiety and for sleep disruption.” Two-thirds of players with five or more concussions suffered from anger and irritability.

The researchers noted that this finding could be due to early retirement from rugby caused by an injury. Rugby players are likely to present with more symptoms of depression because they have more opportunities to get concussed in their sport. 

Lead researcher Dr. Karen Hind outlines the most salient issue from the UK rugby health project, “They [rugby players] felt very well looked-after when they were playing, but once they hit retirement there was nothing there for them.” There must be resources for rugby players, especially from sports governing bodies, to mitigate the mental health issues that rugby players experience in retirement.