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Kenisha Brown

English 1201

Riley

5 November 2021

“Can participation in contacts sports at an early age contribute to the development of schizophrenia and

other mental health illness”?

Although we have known for many years that physical trauma to the brain causes long term effects from

cognition to physical motor disabilities, these effects has just recently been correlated with sports.

Typically, the trauma we are aware of associated with these types of injuries are related to motor

vehicle accidents, domestic violence and things of that nature opposed to something that is supposed to

be viewed as a positive activity such as participation in sports. Despite the recent development and

discoveries related to this topic society continues to encourage and promote the participation in contact

sports such as football, hockey, and boxing for entertainment. Which brings me to my research

question, “Can contacts sports at an early age contribute to the development of schizophrenia and other

mental health illnesses?” Per mayo clinic, studies show that traumatic brain injuries (TBI) especially

when repetitive at an early age has long term consequences (Mayo clinic). I believe that contact sports

directly contribute to the development of mental health illness such as schizophrenia.

Contact sports are very entertaining. At one-point man also thought that it was entertaining to appoint

slaves to battle one another until their deaths. Thanks god civilization outgrew that juncture, or have we

really? Although contact sports do not appear as unhuman as these slaughtering, to me they are just
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sugar-coated versions of the past events. Society attempts to justify the participation in contact sports

by providing “safety” apparatus such as helmets. The mere idea and acknowledgement of the need for

these devices should hinder the idea of doing something potentially dangerous versus finding a better or

safer way to do it.

Would you suggest that a battered woman in a domestic violence relationship stay in that relationship

but just wear a helmet? Absolutely not because we are aware of the harm that both mentally and

physically that will result from the trauma. So why turn the other cheek when it comes to contact sports

knowing that there is a possibility for long term damage? The answer to this question is simple,

entertainment and the financial gain that is acquired in the participation of mutilation and destruction of

other human beings. Contact sports are proven to cause injury in multiple fashions especially when

started at an early age and participation should be reassessed and made innoxious.

I know that there is a group of sports fan tribes somewhere reading this article ready to ring my neck

simply for the notion that I am asking someone to reconsider how the games of sports are conducted. I

write from personal experience and anyone that has had to witness the emotional trauma that not only

someone with mental health has to languish, but the psychological agony that the family is exposed to,

and the fact that sports may have had a huge contribution to these events they would understand. I also

know that somewhere someone is thinking but what if it doesn’t? In the article “understanding the

psychiatric effects of concussion on constructed identity in hockey players: Implications for health

professionals” researchers shared statistical facts that In North American alone more than 400,000

children under the age of fourteen needed medical attention as a result of a TBI. TBI is a factor that is

said to directly contribute to Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Mayo clinic defines CTE as brain degeneration that is likely caused by repeated head traumas. Although

the disorder and topic surrounding its causes are still being researched, there continues to be many
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answered as well as unanswered questions. There is no question as to rather brain trauma effects

cognition. As a nurse if I have a patient that suffered any type of a head injury, I am to monitor them,

keep them awake and alert. Do you know why I am taught to do so? This is because, if there is any

alteration in the level of cognition or consciousness, they are to be further assessed with expensive

testing such as MRIs’, CAT scan and other testing to prevent permanent brain damage.

So seriously what else are we to assume will occur with repetitive damage with minimum monitoring

and observation due to a lack of knowledge of the need for ongoing assessments and treatment. Why

not be proactive like we as Americans tend to be or pretend to be in other circumstances such as when

there is a huge outbreak causing thousands of deaths? When Covid 19 hit our nation with little

questions asked we did as we were told by the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), sure

people opposed the recommendations but for the most part everyone complied with minimum

hesitation. We were told to wear mask, to not go to stores, to not send our kids to school, to close

basically everything and everywhere that included human life to prevent further exposure and more

outbreaks. However, we choose to ignore the possibility that sports can cause long term damage.

Despite the facts of evidence that goes as far as an autopsy to support the scientific believes of

professionals from Boston University School of Medicine whom of consists of a team with years of

medical knowledge and training according to the documentary based on the true story of the football

athlete Aaron Hernandez.

Aaron was just one athlete on a long list of athletes such as Muhammed Ali, Andre Waters, Tyler Sash

and Ronnie Caveness, to name a few that are believed to have suffered from Chronic traumatic

encephalopathy (CTE) as a result of sports participation (YouTube). During my research I have found that

there Is not a lot of historical indications that sports related injuries contribute to mental illness, but this

is primarily due to the fact that this is a topic that in the past was simply not researched. However, in the
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article written by Purcell the author touches on how not only the impact of injuries can contribute to

mental health illness but how the stigma of being an “elite” athlete can put pressure on an athlete

leading to anxiety and depression related to standards that the athletes are not able to live up to. This is

a convincing theory in the fact that trying to keep up and manage critics even on a job as an adult is

stressful. It is easy to understand how this kind of stress on children and teenagers can be

overwhelming.

An interesting article that contributes to my research that I selected is an article written by Pluhar

suggest that “Team sport athletes may be less likely to suffer anxiety or depression than individual sport

athletes” (Pluhar). Again, suggesting that sports do contribute to mental health illness rather the sport

being played is a contact sports such as hockey or football also known as “team sports” or an individual

sport that is considered a non-contact sport such as gymnastics, running and diving. The article also

suggests that the motivation behind participating in the sport rather it is self-driven, for fun, or for the

satisfaction of a parent can cause an increase of anxiety and other emotional distress that can lead to

chronic depression and other mental health illnesses.

Mental health illness is mental health illness we cannot downplay or displaced the importance of

acknowledging mental health disorders based on the level of its severity. In other words, if the article by

(Pluhar) consist of a theory and evidence that supports that sports do indeed contribute to disorders

such as anxiety, how we be certain to say that’s where the damage end? When the brain is shaken in the

skull by the impact of hit or trauma related to sports injury, the brain matter is shifted around causing

irreversible damage (Mayo Clinic). This irreversible damage in the cases of athletes has been defined as

CTE. Not only can these injuries have long term effects, but they have and can cause disabilities and

death not even related to CTE, CTE is just the elephant in the locker room being overlooked. We are

willing to accept and deal with fractures or broken bones without hesitation, hey what can’t a little
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physical and occupational therapy with a little ice fix, so why do we continue to ignore the warnings of

CTE in athletes.

As I continue to write I wonder if the stigma of “men/boys are supposed to be strong” plays a role in the

disregard of the potential danger that can be caused by sports injuries. No, I am not suggesting that

women don’t play sports, but the number of female sport contestants are significantly lower compared

to male participants. We are also aware of the results of shaken baby syndrome which is categorized as

a traumatic brain injury. There are several support groups and awareness of the danger and damage

that can result from the impact of the young infant and/or toddlers’ skulls being injured. We march,

protest, and confine the accusers to prison because it is a violent act, but because sports are

entertaining and fun, we disregard the fact that which every tackle or hit we are subjecting these

children and putting them at risk for the same exact misfortune.

In the article by Todd, it is stated that often in the sport of hockey, injuries are not reported to simplify

the injuries that are sustained from the players participation. One thing all of my research sources

commonly and repeatedly express is that trauma to the brain aka concussions contribute to long term

psychiatric illness often referring to anxiety and depression. This is because CTE can not be diagnosed

until death and an autopsy is performed. Schizophrenia is defined as “a serious mental health illness

that affects how a person think, feels and behave”. (NIH)

Schizophrenia consists of a series of symptoms which includes atypical behaviors such as paranoia,

negative symptoms such as a lack of interest and cognitive symptoms ranging from attention deficit to

memory loss (NIH). All of these signs and symptoms are similar to those of depression and anxiety. So

those exact same defined behaviors noted in athletes that are said to be “stressed induced anxiety or

depression” (Pluhar) can in fact be early the early sign and symptoms of the development of a severe

mental health issue related to TBI. Ryan also mentioned that suicide has been associated with
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concussions and the overwhelming pressure of dealing with major depressive disorders. Aaron

Hernandez committed suicide after taking the lives of others.

Aaron was drowning in his own thoughts and damaged mind with no explanation. Some might blame his

actions oh his upbringing or environment which may have very well been a contributing factor. It is a

fact which was only confirmed after his death which is way to late that he had brain deformities

resembling that of a brain that developed CTE. Aaron began to participate in sports at an early age and

was proficiently considered to be on pro status by high school (YouTube). Per Ryan a study conducted

on retired football players revealed that players with multiple concussions are almost 25% more likely to

suffer from depression which was compared to the 5% in those who did not participate in football. Like

schizophrenia these individuals reported that they were socially with-drawn and also reported feeling

“disconnected” from themselves (Ryan).