Union releases wellbeing data for National Stress Awareness Day

Only around a third of male (38%) and a quarter of female (26%) players said they would feel comfortable sharing concerns about their mental wellbeing with clubs, according to a new survey of more than a thousand PFA professional football union members. The union released the findings to mark National Stress Awareness Day on 1 November.

One in five respondents said they had experienced severe anxiety, and the use of Snus (a smokeless tobacco product) and sleeping pills emerged as “issues of concern” in the men’s game. The union has launched a joint study with Loughborough University to address issues with the use of Snus within football and has highlighted the link between “the growing demands of football’s relentless fixture schedule” and sleeping pill usage.

Performance and injury were the issues most likely to negatively impact wellbeing for all players. Almost a quarter (23%) of female professionals said money and contractual issues were causing stress, while personal safety concerns are a prominent and growing issue among players in the Women’s Super League, the union reported.