Prevalence and Levels of Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression and Suicidal Ideation Amongst Elite Male Soccer Players: An Age- and Education-Matched Controlled Study

Mental health among elite athletes has received increasing attention, yet evidence from studies including matched control groups remains limited. This study investigated the prevalence and levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among elite male soccer players compared with age- and education-matched controls from the general population. A total of 324 participants were included, comprising 214 elite male soccer players and 110 controls. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Suicidal ideation was assessed using item 9 of the BDI-II. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and non-parametric inferential statistics. In addition, a neural network classification analysis was conducted to examine whether combined anxiety and depressive symptoms could differentiate elite athletes from controls. No significant differences were found in the prevalence of depression (40.19% in athletes vs. 37.27% in controls) or anxiety (87.38% in athletes vs. 90.00% in controls). Levels of depressive symptoms were similar between groups, whereas anxiety levels were higher among controls. Suicidal ideation was significantly less prevalent in controls (22.73%) compared with elite soccer players (46.73%). Neural network classification achieved above-chance accuracy (68.8%) in differentiating athletes based on combined anxiety and depressive symptoms, but low sensitivity reinforces prior results that athletes and matched controls have similar levels of mental health outcomes. Elite soccer players and controls show similar prevalence of depression and anxiety, although anxiety severity appears lower among athletes. The joint configuration of anxiety and depressive symptoms modestly differentiates group affiliation, while suicidal ideation remains more prevalent among elite players. These findings highlight the complex and distinctive mental health profile of elite athletes and suggest the need for continued psychological support and monitoring in high-performance sport contexts.