A study by the world players' union FIFPro reported professional footballers "suffer more from depression and anxiety than the general public, with more than a third of current and former players reporting symptoms," according to Simon Jennings of REUTERS. Of 826 players surveyed, 38% of current players and 35% of former professionals said that they "faced problems at some stage, especially if they had suffered serious injuries." In the general population, "the figure is between 13 and 17 percent." The survey also reveals that current players who have suffered three or more severe injuries are "four times more likely to report mental health problems than other footballers." FIFPro carried out a pilot study on the issue in '13 and "the latest research shows the scale of mental health problems among players is far more serious than the earlier research showed." FIFPro Chief Medical Officer Vincent Gouttebarge said, "We hope that with this study comes increased awareness and commitment from all stakeholders in football to put supportive measures in place so that those suffering from mental health problems know they are not alone" (REUTERS, 10/6). The BBC reported retired footballer Clarke Carlisle said that some sports are "failing to address" the issue of mental health. Carlisle added that sports such as "boxing and American football have not given mental and physical health the same importance." He praised cricket and rugby league for "investing heavily" in support for players and staff. Former Burnley and QPR player Carlisle "tried to take his own life in December 2014 while severely depressed." He said sport in general had progressed from "ignoring mental heath to at least acknowledging it exists" but added more needed to be done (BBC, 10/6).
