Essay On Concussions

The topic that will be displayed in this research prospectus is how the NFL has poorly handled the ongoing concussion epidemic amongst its players and the problems that come along with it. Every time players step foot on the field they are taking the risk of suffering from a concussion due to the physicality of the sport. Concussions have an everlasting lasting effect on humans and can lead to serious mental health problems. After their careers, there have been many instances where concussions have led to players developing serious mental health issues. There have been many concerns around the league about the concussion protocol and how it has been processed. Over the past years, there has been an effort to upgrade league protocols and equipment

Mental illnesses like CTE and Depression are developed in NFL players who suffer from multiple concussions. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a head injury that occurs from suffering multiple concussions. CTE develops into dementia if the brain has suffered around seventeen concussions. The NFL receives a lot of backlash for the safety of their players and the multiple reports of players who suffer from CTE after playing in the league have led to that. Depression is a mental health disease that is when a person always feels sad and losses interest in many things. This is also caused by NFL players suffering concussions and why the league has received criticism for the way they have carried out the protocols. According to Mez et al. (2018), a study in NFL shows that 99% of the players in the NFL have shown signs of neurodegenerative disease. Players tend to have a higher percentage chance of suffering from a concussion the longer they play in the league. Another reason the NFL receives so much criticism for the lack of support for players who suffer from concussions is due to the permanent effects it leaves on the players. In a study from Faure and Cassanova (2018), more than 70% of NFL wives have said that the symptoms of suffering from a concussion have become permanent on their husbands. The same study states that there many unreported

A study by Lessley et al. (2020), states that players have a higher chance of getting a concussion based on their position on the field. This is due to the player's purpose on the field and the type of helmet that is required for the position. The three positions that suffer the most concussions in the NFL are Cornerbacks, Running Backs, and Linebackers. These positions happen to suffer the most concussions because they have the most helmet-on-helmet contact plays compared to any other positions on the field. The same study also indicates that the teams do not report some of the concussions suffered by their players to the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) which is the database for the league's medical records. These are all alarming a strongly indicate there needs to be a change in how concussions are looked at and handled in the NFL’s future. Many retired players have participated in studies and around 50% have displayed serious mental concerns after suffering from a concussion, while the other 50% have shown moderate to low concerns about their mental health. This is still a problem because everybody who has suffered a concussion from the study is showing a level of concern for their mental health. Also, the concern levels have raised