PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Jansen, Petra AU - Lehmann, Jennifer AU - Fellner, Birgit AU - Huppertz, Gunnar AU - Loose, Oliver AU - Achenbach, Leonard AU - Krutsch, Werner TI - Relation of injuries and psychological symptoms in amateur soccer players AID - 10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000522 DP - 2019 Apr 01 TA - BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine PG - e000522 VI - 5 IP - 1 4099 - http://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000522.short 4100 - http://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000522.full SO - BMJ OPEN SP EX MED2019 Apr 01; 5 AB - Objectives The first main goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression and anxiety as well as self-compassion in a heterogeneous sample of male amateur soccer players. The second main goal of this study was the examination of the relationship between injuries and psychological factors in amateur soccer players.Methods Players were recruited from German amateur soccer clubs of the fourth to seventh league. 419 soccer players with the mean age of 22.88 years participated in the psychological and the injury assessment at the beginning of the season and at the end, 9 months later. For the psychological assessment, depression and anxiety rate as well as self-compassion was analysed. Furthermore, the frequencies of injuries were registered.Results The results showed that players of the highest amateur league, the fourth league in German soccer, showed significantly higher anxiety values than players from a lower league (p=0.013). There were no differences in depression values dependent on the league. Furthermore, players who suffered from an injury before the start of the season demonstrated higher anxiety values (p=0.027). This result was independent of the respective league.Conclusion The results of this study demonstrate that even in higher amateur soccer the anxiety level of the players varies between soccer players of different leagues. Because an injury before the start of the season influenced the anxiety level, a psychological treatment during injury should be considered.