Ex-Pro Football Players Struggle With Health Problems

Ex-players also reported barriers to getting help for depression, including a preference to rely on religion or family and friends, lack of insurance coverage, and feelings that these problems weren't important.

"There is also a stigma in seeking help for depression. Many ex-players said they would feel weak or embarrassed if they sought help," said Schwenk, the George A. Dean, M.D. chair and professor of family medicine at the University of Michigan Health System and associate director of the University of Michigan Depression Center.

Schwenk thinks that NFL players need to start planning for these potential problems before they retire. "Most players don't have a plan of how to cope with life after football and how to seek help for their depression and chronic pain," he said.

On Thursday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league's medical committee has been working on a way to start mandatory tests for concussions, perhaps as early as this summer when training camps open. That comes after March's league meetings when league officials and coaches agreed that head injuries need close monitoring, theAssociated Pressreported.

"At no time should competitive issues override medical issues," Goodell said. "Safety comes first."

More information

For more information on depression, visit the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.

SOURCES: Thomas L. Schwenk, M.D., George A. Dean, M.D. chair and professor of family medicine, University of Michigan Health System, and associate director, University of Michigan Depression Center, Ann Arbor; April 2007,Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise;Associated Press