Is CTE really the main reason behind the rise in NFL player suicides?
Summary
A new study looked at death data of NFL, NBA, and MLB players and found that NFL players have become more likely to die by suicide only since 2009. The increase is large, but it may not be caused only by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition from repeated head injuries linked to football players.Key Facts
- The study analyzed about 34,000 professional football, basketball, and baseball players from 1979 to 2019.
- NFL players were 20% more likely to die by suicide compared to NBA and MLB players over the whole period.
- From 1979 to 2009, NFL players were actually about 10% less likely than their peers to die by suicide.
- From 2009 to 2019, NFL players were 260% more likely than NBA and MLB players to die by suicide.
- CTE, a brain disease from head trauma, cannot be diagnosed until after death.
- CTE has been found in several NFL players who died by suicide, but old cases were likely as common as current ones.
- The rise in NFL suicides since 2009 may be influenced by other factors such as suicide contagion, where one public suicide can lead to more.
- The study was conducted by Harvard’s Football Player Health Study, which includes neuroscientists and former NFL players.
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