Mental health symptoms in electronic football players

Background The escalated competitive pressure and professionalisation of esports players could predispose them to mental health symptoms. We aimed to develop a model to explore the association between distress and anxiety/depression symptoms and potential associations between adaptive or maladaptive...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Vincent Gouttebarge, Evert Verhagen, João Brito, Pedro Figueiredo, Ana Monteiro Pereira, Pedro Teques
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-12-01
Series:BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
Online Access:https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/4/e001149.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850207323057815552
author Vincent Gouttebarge
Evert Verhagen
João Brito
Pedro Figueiredo
Ana Monteiro Pereira
Pedro Teques
author_facet Vincent Gouttebarge
Evert Verhagen
João Brito
Pedro Figueiredo
Ana Monteiro Pereira
Pedro Teques
author_sort Vincent Gouttebarge
collection DOAJ
description Background The escalated competitive pressure and professionalisation of esports players could predispose them to mental health symptoms. We aimed to develop a model to explore the association between distress and anxiety/depression symptoms and potential associations between adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies, sleeping disturbance, alcohol consumption and eating habits in electronic football players.Methods The present exploratory cross-sectional study includes the Distress Screener, General Health Questionnaire, Brief Cope, Sleep Disturbance Domain of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption and a set of questions regarding eating habits. A two-step robust maximum likelihood method of the Structural Equation Modelling approach was used.Results Both measurement model (χ2/df=1065.04 (637), p<0.001; Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI)=0.91, Comparative Fit Index (CFI)=0.92, standardised root mean residual (SRMR)=0.07 and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.05; 95% CI 0.043 to 0.053) and hypothesised structural model (χ2/df=1131.98 (648); p<0.001; TLI=0.90, CFI=0.91, SRMR=0.07 and RMSEA=0.05; 95% CI 0.054 to 0.06) showed an adequate fit to the data. Stress was positively related with depression and anxiety symptoms. Only anxiety symptoms were linked with coping strategies. Maladaptive coping strategies were related to sleep disturbance, alcohol consumption and poor eating habits, whereas adaptive coping strategies were associated with less sleep disturbance, reduced alcohol consumption and better eating habits.Conclusion An integrative approach to help electronic football players when early signs of distress are present might help avoid other mental health symptoms that interfere with players’ well-being and overall health. Additionally, adequate coping strategies to manage anxiety symptoms due to distress may help counteract potential negative consequences for lifestyle habits in electronic football players.
format Article
id doaj-art-7344839cab754d408bae632829462e36
institution OA Journals
issn 2055-7647
language English
publishDate 2021-12-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
spelling doaj-art-7344839cab754d408bae632829462e362025-08-20T02:10:34ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine2055-76472021-12-017410.1136/bmjsem-2021-001149Mental health symptoms in electronic football playersVincent Gouttebarge0Evert Verhagen1João Brito2Pedro Figueiredo3Ana Monteiro Pereira4Pedro Teques516 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsAmsterdam Collaboration on Health and Safety in Sports, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University Medical Centres, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands1Portuguese Football Federation, Lisboa, Portugal1 Gastroenterology, Unidade Local de Saúde de Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalPortugal Football School, Portuguese Football Federation, Oeiras, PortugalPortugal Football School, Portuguese Football Federation, Oeiras, PortugalBackground The escalated competitive pressure and professionalisation of esports players could predispose them to mental health symptoms. We aimed to develop a model to explore the association between distress and anxiety/depression symptoms and potential associations between adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies, sleeping disturbance, alcohol consumption and eating habits in electronic football players.Methods The present exploratory cross-sectional study includes the Distress Screener, General Health Questionnaire, Brief Cope, Sleep Disturbance Domain of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption and a set of questions regarding eating habits. A two-step robust maximum likelihood method of the Structural Equation Modelling approach was used.Results Both measurement model (χ2/df=1065.04 (637), p<0.001; Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI)=0.91, Comparative Fit Index (CFI)=0.92, standardised root mean residual (SRMR)=0.07 and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.05; 95% CI 0.043 to 0.053) and hypothesised structural model (χ2/df=1131.98 (648); p<0.001; TLI=0.90, CFI=0.91, SRMR=0.07 and RMSEA=0.05; 95% CI 0.054 to 0.06) showed an adequate fit to the data. Stress was positively related with depression and anxiety symptoms. Only anxiety symptoms were linked with coping strategies. Maladaptive coping strategies were related to sleep disturbance, alcohol consumption and poor eating habits, whereas adaptive coping strategies were associated with less sleep disturbance, reduced alcohol consumption and better eating habits.Conclusion An integrative approach to help electronic football players when early signs of distress are present might help avoid other mental health symptoms that interfere with players’ well-being and overall health. Additionally, adequate coping strategies to manage anxiety symptoms due to distress may help counteract potential negative consequences for lifestyle habits in electronic football players.https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/4/e001149.full
spellingShingle Vincent Gouttebarge
Evert Verhagen
João Brito
Pedro Figueiredo
Ana Monteiro Pereira
Pedro Teques
Mental health symptoms in electronic football players
BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
title Mental health symptoms in electronic football players
title_full Mental health symptoms in electronic football players
title_fullStr Mental health symptoms in electronic football players
title_full_unstemmed Mental health symptoms in electronic football players
title_short Mental health symptoms in electronic football players
title_sort mental health symptoms in electronic football players
url https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/4/e001149.full
work_keys_str_mv AT vincentgouttebarge mentalhealthsymptomsinelectronicfootballplayers
AT evertverhagen mentalhealthsymptomsinelectronicfootballplayers
AT joaobrito mentalhealthsymptomsinelectronicfootballplayers
AT pedrofigueiredo mentalhealthsymptomsinelectronicfootballplayers
AT anamonteiropereira mentalhealthsymptomsinelectronicfootballplayers
AT pedroteques mentalhealthsymptomsinelectronicfootballplayers