Professor
Michael Gorman, Ph.D.
Document Type
Essay
Original Publication Date
November 2018
Publication Date
2019
Abstract
Through the analysis of data pooled from multiple studies, we identify the relationship between participation in athletics and the likelihood of developing a mental illness or brain injury and how this may impact the longevity of an athlete’s career. Using data from various studies, we find that the prolonged exposure to athletics results in a higher likelihood of developing a psychological or neurological illness both in the short and long term. Additionally, we find that this is often the result of accumulated injuries, both neurological, such as concussions, and physiological, such as tearing muscles or breaking bones. The results, however, suggest that youth, high school, collegiate, and professional athletes, alike, are more likely to experience sports-related depression or anxiety, misuse prescription drugs or develop addiction, or suffer from diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, all of which are actually unlikely to impact the length of their careers.
Recommended Citation
Burke, Sean, "The Impact of Participation in Athletics on Neurological and Psychological Health and the Ability to Compete" (2019). Writing Across the Curriculum. 40.
https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/wac_prize/40
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
