COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on the Mental Health of Professional Soccer: Comparison of Anxiety Between Genders

Abstract

This study verifies associated factors with trait and state anxiety in professional soccer teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample was composed of 315 athletes, coaches, and physical trainers of professional soccer teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. From this amount, 214 were classified with trait anxiety, and 315 were classified with state anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). This study is an epidemiological and cross-sectional study. We applied an observational method, and we performed a remote measurement. The measurement was made via online questionnaires in male and female individuals working on soccer teams (soccer professionals or athletes) who could be affected by anxiety during social isolation in the COVID-19 pandemic. Each questionnaire was composed of sociodemographic questions, self-perceived performance, and STAI. The main results indicated a significant difference between female vs. male soccer professionals in state anxiety (54.97 ± 9.43 vs. 57.65 ± 9.48 index) and trait anxiety (54.21 ± 5.74 vs. 55.76 ± 6.41 index) with higher results in men. Sociodemographic variables impacted significant differences between female and male athletes and professionals of soccer clubs, and anxiety during the pandemic COVID-19 period impacted self-perceived performance analysis. The present results highlight the importance of cognitive behavior therapy for professional soccer teams.

Relationship between Sports and Personal Variables and the Competitive Anxiety of Colombian Elite Athletes of Olympic and Paralympic Sports

“…In fact, when male and female Olympic and Paralympic athletes were analysed during the COVID-19 crisis, no differences were found in anxiety symptoms levels [30,31]. Likewise, another study compared male and female soccer professionals, that is, elite players, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the results indicated that state anxiety and trait anxiety in males were greater than in females, on average [18].…”

“…In relation to competitive anxiety symptoms according to sex, the results from different studies have shown that girls obtain higher scores than boys in competitive anxiety symptoms [9,[13][14][15], with higher values on the cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety scales, and lower values on the self-confidence scale [3,16]. However, although the majority of studies showed higher values of anxiety symptoms in women than men, other studies have not found differences between men and women [17], or when collective sports athletes, such as football [18] or water polo [19], were analysed, with even higher values found in men than in women.…”

Impact and control of the COVID pandemic in an elite sports club: Real Madrid

“…Speaking more specifically about soccer teams, the publications on COVID and soccer often focus on particular aspects such as the impact of quarantine or COVID on team sports performance [18,19,[46][47][48] or the psychological impact of the pandemic on players and their families [33,49]. There are reports on the change in sporting outcomes caused by pandemic conditions, such as a lower win ratio when playing in stadiums without a crowd [17, [50][51][52][53][54] and FIFA regulations during the pandemic [55][56][57].…”

Mental Health in First- and Second-Division Soccer Players: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Regarding football players, research has reported a perceived decrease in their overall wellbeing which results in a detrimental impact on their general professional performance [23,24]. However, some studies conducted during the lockdown observed that soccer players, compared with individual athletes, had less symptoms of anxiety and depression, suggesting the protective role of team support, as stated before [9].…”

“…Moreover, some studies have suggested that the probability of suffering from mental illness may be reduced among athletes involved in team sports compared to those engaging in individual sports [ 4 , 8 ]. An increased sense of belonging and greater accessibility to social support could explain these differences [ 9 , 10 , 11 ].…”