Contributors to caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety in the partners of professional American-style football players: a cross-sectional study
IntroductionAmerican-style football (ASF) has been linked to chronic adverse health outcomes. The extent to which ASF players' careers impact their spouses' caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety remains unknown. In addition to conventional family stressors, ASF families may have specif...
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2025-05-01
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| author | Niki Konstantinides Niki Konstantinides Paula S. Atkeson Heather DiGregorio Inana Dairi Cheyenne Brown Kairi Noriega Jillian Baker Jillian Baker Valencia Taylor Christy Glass Lewis E. Kazis Lewis E. Kazis Rachel Terrill Frank E. Speizer Frank E. Speizer Frank E. Speizer Ross D. Zafonte Ross D. Zafonte Ross D. Zafonte Herman A. Taylor Herman A. Taylor Aaron L. Baggish Aaron L. Baggish Aaron L. Baggish Marc G. Weisskopf Marc G. Weisskopf Alicia J. Whittington Rachel Grashow Rachel Grashow |
| author_facet | Niki Konstantinides Niki Konstantinides Paula S. Atkeson Heather DiGregorio Inana Dairi Cheyenne Brown Kairi Noriega Jillian Baker Jillian Baker Valencia Taylor Christy Glass Lewis E. Kazis Lewis E. Kazis Rachel Terrill Frank E. Speizer Frank E. Speizer Frank E. Speizer Ross D. Zafonte Ross D. Zafonte Ross D. Zafonte Herman A. Taylor Herman A. Taylor Aaron L. Baggish Aaron L. Baggish Aaron L. Baggish Marc G. Weisskopf Marc G. Weisskopf Alicia J. Whittington Rachel Grashow Rachel Grashow |
| author_sort | Niki Konstantinides |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionAmerican-style football (ASF) has been linked to chronic adverse health outcomes. The extent to which ASF players' careers impact their spouses' caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety remains unknown. In addition to conventional family stressors, ASF families may have specific concerns such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE; a condition that can only be established at autopsy), which may additionally contribute to caregiver burden and mood symptoms.MethodsFamily Experiences Managing Football Lives (FEM-FL) is a cross-sectional study developed under the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University. Eligible participants were partners of current and former professional ASF players who completed electronic surveys from 2021 to 2024. Data on age, race, family composition, income, employment status, caregiver help, personal health, marital satisfaction, player position, and number of relocations were collected. Participants were asked whether they believed their partner had “CTE.” Multivariable models measured associations between established and ASF-specific risk factors and caregiver burden (Zarit 4-item Burden Interview), and depression and anxiety symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-4).ResultsAmong 153 partners of active and former professional ASF players, mean [SD] age was 48.1 [13.5], and 28.8% self-identified as Black. In models that adjusted for established risk factors and ASF-specific variables, poor health among partners was associated with a 1.6 point increase in depression score (95% CI = 0.90, 2.30; p < 0.001) and 1.87 point increase in anxiety (95% CI = 1.05, 2.69; p < 0.001). Models that controlled for established risk factors identified significant associations between increased marital satisfaction and a 5.87 reduction in caregiver burden score (95% CI= −7.32, −4.43; p < 0.001), 1.26 score reduction in depression score (95% CI = −1.75, −0.77; p < 0.001) and 1.32 reduction in anxiety score (95% CI = −1.89, −0.75; p < 0.001). CTE concerns were associated with a 2.90 increase in caregiver burden score (95% CI = 1.78, 3.99; p < 0.001) and a 0.44 increase in reported anxiety (95% CI = −0.01, 0.88; p = 0.05), but had no association with depression in adjusted models.DiscussionAmong partners of active and former professional ASF players, marital satisfaction, poor health, and concerns about CTE may play a role in caregiver burden and behavioral health. CTE concerns represents a potential novel risk factor for increased caregiver burden among partners of ASF players. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-33907a6467c64e71bd7c0b6a8e5e47b3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-33907a6467c64e71bd7c0b6a8e5e47b32025-08-20T02:14:54ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-05-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15812391581239Contributors to caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety in the partners of professional American-style football players: a cross-sectional studyNiki Konstantinides0Niki Konstantinides1Paula S. Atkeson2Heather DiGregorio3Inana Dairi4Cheyenne Brown5Kairi Noriega6Jillian Baker7Jillian Baker8Valencia Taylor9Christy Glass10Lewis E. Kazis11Lewis E. Kazis12Rachel Terrill13Frank E. Speizer14Frank E. Speizer15Frank E. Speizer16Ross D. Zafonte17Ross D. Zafonte18Ross D. Zafonte19Herman A. Taylor20Herman A. Taylor21Aaron L. Baggish22Aaron L. Baggish23Aaron L. Baggish24Marc G. Weisskopf25Marc G. Weisskopf26Alicia J. Whittington27Rachel Grashow28Rachel Grashow29Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Sociology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United StatesDepartment of Health Law Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesSpaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Rehabilitation Outcomes Center (ROC), Boston, MA, United StatesIndependent Researcher, Indianapolis, IN, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesChanning Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States0Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States1Cardiovascular Research Institute, Morehosue School of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States2Cardiovascular Performance Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States3Department of Cardiology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and Institute for Sport Science, University of Lausanne (ISSUL), Lausanne, SwitzerlandFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesFootball Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesIntroductionAmerican-style football (ASF) has been linked to chronic adverse health outcomes. The extent to which ASF players' careers impact their spouses' caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety remains unknown. In addition to conventional family stressors, ASF families may have specific concerns such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE; a condition that can only be established at autopsy), which may additionally contribute to caregiver burden and mood symptoms.MethodsFamily Experiences Managing Football Lives (FEM-FL) is a cross-sectional study developed under the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University. Eligible participants were partners of current and former professional ASF players who completed electronic surveys from 2021 to 2024. Data on age, race, family composition, income, employment status, caregiver help, personal health, marital satisfaction, player position, and number of relocations were collected. Participants were asked whether they believed their partner had “CTE.” Multivariable models measured associations between established and ASF-specific risk factors and caregiver burden (Zarit 4-item Burden Interview), and depression and anxiety symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-4).ResultsAmong 153 partners of active and former professional ASF players, mean [SD] age was 48.1 [13.5], and 28.8% self-identified as Black. In models that adjusted for established risk factors and ASF-specific variables, poor health among partners was associated with a 1.6 point increase in depression score (95% CI = 0.90, 2.30; p < 0.001) and 1.87 point increase in anxiety (95% CI = 1.05, 2.69; p < 0.001). Models that controlled for established risk factors identified significant associations between increased marital satisfaction and a 5.87 reduction in caregiver burden score (95% CI= −7.32, −4.43; p < 0.001), 1.26 score reduction in depression score (95% CI = −1.75, −0.77; p < 0.001) and 1.32 reduction in anxiety score (95% CI = −1.89, −0.75; p < 0.001). CTE concerns were associated with a 2.90 increase in caregiver burden score (95% CI = 1.78, 3.99; p < 0.001) and a 0.44 increase in reported anxiety (95% CI = −0.01, 0.88; p = 0.05), but had no association with depression in adjusted models.DiscussionAmong partners of active and former professional ASF players, marital satisfaction, poor health, and concerns about CTE may play a role in caregiver burden and behavioral health. CTE concerns represents a potential novel risk factor for increased caregiver burden among partners of ASF players.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1581239/fullcaregiver burdenfootball (American)depressionanxietypartners and families |
| spellingShingle | Niki Konstantinides Niki Konstantinides Paula S. Atkeson Heather DiGregorio Inana Dairi Cheyenne Brown Kairi Noriega Jillian Baker Jillian Baker Valencia Taylor Christy Glass Lewis E. Kazis Lewis E. Kazis Rachel Terrill Frank E. Speizer Frank E. Speizer Frank E. Speizer Ross D. Zafonte Ross D. Zafonte Ross D. Zafonte Herman A. Taylor Herman A. Taylor Aaron L. Baggish Aaron L. Baggish Aaron L. Baggish Marc G. Weisskopf Marc G. Weisskopf Alicia J. Whittington Rachel Grashow Rachel Grashow Contributors to caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety in the partners of professional American-style football players: a cross-sectional study Frontiers in Psychology caregiver burden football (American) depression anxiety partners and families |
| title | Contributors to caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety in the partners of professional American-style football players: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Contributors to caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety in the partners of professional American-style football players: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Contributors to caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety in the partners of professional American-style football players: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contributors to caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety in the partners of professional American-style football players: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Contributors to caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety in the partners of professional American-style football players: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | contributors to caregiver burden depression and anxiety in the partners of professional american style football players a cross sectional study |
| topic | caregiver burden football (American) depression anxiety partners and families |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1581239/full |
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