Is CTE really the main reason behind the rise in NFL player suicides?

Brain trauma and football have become inexorably linked. But a recent Harvard study suggestions there are other dangers for football players

When an NFL player takes his own life, there is often speculation about why. Injuries and unemployment – a common occurrence in a violent sport where players are frequently traded and cut – have been linked with increased risks of suicidal ideation. In parallel to those factors, however, exists chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A degenerative brain condition caused by repeated trauma to the head, CTE’s links with football are established and almost impossible to ignore. Players ranging from widely admired Pro Bowlers such as Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, to those infamous for more notorious reasons, such as Aaron Hernandez and Phillip Adams, were all confirmed to have CTE by autopsies. (The condition can only be diagnosed posthumously.) All four players killed themselves.

Such anecdotal observations imply a certain, coherent logic that connects playing football with suicide. Tackle football, by its nature, increases participants’ risk of head injury. Head injuries increase the likelihood of an affected individual attempting suicide. CTE is often the cumulative consequence of years of head injuries and, indeed, many high-profile NFL players who have taken their own lives have been confirmed to suffer from CTE. So it’s easy to reason that football and/or CTE, by their very nature, lead to an increased risk of suicide.

In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

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