NFL Families & Caregiver Burden

In a newly published study, we looked at how professional football impacted not only an NFL player’s health, but his partner’s health as well. At FEM-FL, we know that the NFL experience is a family experience – both during a player’s career and after his career is over. Caregiving for one’s NFL partner after the game is over may bring its own set of challenges for family members.

What we studied:

We asked NFL partners and spouses about their health, family, football-related experiences, and thoughts about their partner’s health. Four factors emerged as making a difference in caregiver burden, depression, and anxiety for spouses and partners of NFL players:

• The number of relocations for her partner’s NFL career
• Her reported marital satisfaction
• Her concerns about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).)
• Her health status

What the science says:

In studying the spouses and partners of NFL players, we learned that:

• Participants who reported their own health as poor also reported increased levels of anxiety and depression, compared to those who rated their own health positively.
• Participants who reported concerns about their NFL partner having chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) reported increased caregiver burden. Their caregiver burden scores were higher than family members caring for partners with cancer, dementia, or of advanced age.
• Participants with a history of numerous relocations reported increased anxiety.
• Higher ratings of marital satisfaction were linked to reduced caregiver burden, anxiety, and depression. In other words, those with less marital satisfaction showed the highest levels of caregiver burden.

The figure below shows the reported caregiver burden scores in NFL partners and spouses when broken down by risk factor.

What this means for the NFL family community:

• It is important to note that risk factors and health outcomes likely influence each other. In other words, while it is likely that the risk factors studied here (e.g., poor health, CTE concerns, low marital satisfaction) likely increase caregiver burden, anxiety, and stress, it is also possible that experiencing high levels of these conditions could impact health, marital satisfaction, and more.
• Nevertheless, addressing one’s own health could reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety.
• Treatable conditions with symptoms that could look like CTE include low testosterone, depression, chronic pain, and more (visit our website for more information) which are known to cause issues with memory, concentration, and thinking. Working with your partner and your medical care providers to address these conditions may reduce their symptoms and potentially their concerns about CTE.
• Making your marriage stronger may be protective against caregiver burden, anxiety and depression. See the resources below that offer free individual and marriage counseling is available for all NFL families.

Below, please find some resources for physical health, healthy relationships, depression, and anxiety that are available to partners and family members of NFL players.

Resources:

• NFL Lifeline is a free, independent and confidential phone consultation service that is available to former players and their families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Lifeline is run by professionals who are trained to assist individuals seeking resources for mental or physical health concerns or who are experiencing personal or emotional crises. You can call (800) 506-0078 or visit their website to chat with a trained counselor.
• The Players Assistance & Counseling Services benefit provides eligible former players and their families with up to eight free counseling sessions a year per issue for matters ranging from family/marital concerns to depression. You can call (866) 421-8628 or visit their website.
• Psychology Today’s therapy directory lists clinical professionals, psychiatrist, and treatment centers who provide mental health services in the U.S. and internationally. Each provider has their own profile listing their qualifications, treatment approach, specialties and a description of their exact costs (including their accepted insurance plans). You may refine your search results based on issues, gender, insurance, types of therapy, faith, language, and age. Visit their website for more information.
• See your doctor: Speak to your doctor about checking on your heart, brain, hormone health, and sleep. Lifestyle changes (e.g., exercise, diet) and medications can have positive impacts on health. Use our checklist designed specifically for former players when speaking with your medical care provider.
• Marriage tips: Listen to a podcast for scientifically based marriage tips.