Rising Mental Health Challenges in Pro Football Expose Urgent Need for Support

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The recent loss of National Football League’s wide receiver Rondale Moore reminded us of why mental health support remains critical across the NFL. Concern over mental health in professional football is drawing urgent attention to the pressures athletes face and the need for practical tools to help them understand and manage stress at the highest levels of competition.

A study published in the Journal of Neurotrauma found that from 1979–2019, 66 former NFL players died by suicide—more than twice as many as in Major League Baseball and more than nine times the National Basketball Association over the same period.

Despite programs offering mental health resources from the NFL Players Association and the league itself, players continue facing stress, anxiety and related challenges with serious consequences. The latest tragedy reinforced concern that existing systems are not resolving the underlying struggles affecting athletes.

Even prior to the recent surge in public attention, national discussion surrounding mental health in professional football recently reached millions at the Super Bowl media center. Ahead of the Super Bowl LX, NFL Sports Marketing Executive and business leader David Meltzer addressed the source of stress and anxiety, drawing from the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by
L. Ron Hubbard.

“Mental health is a big issue in my mission of empowering people to be happy,” said Meltzer. “I realized I didn’t know much about mental health, so I studied the significant people of history, like L. Ron Hubbard and his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. It shows the source of your problems, your anxiety, your stress—and how to address them.”

Professional football is the pinnacle of modern high-performance culture, where physical demand and personal well-being collide under intense public attention. Continued player struggles demonstrate the need for tools that address the source of mental health challenges within the sport. For 75 years, Dianetics has offered practical tools helping both athletes and people from all walks of life take control of their mental health.

Bridge Publications publishes the nonfiction works of L. Ron Hubbard.
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health is the all-time bestselling book on the human mind. Visit www.dianetics.org.

Sara Lucatero
Bridge Publications
323-888-6200
sdinges@bridgepub.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5fb931d4-fe0c-4c19-ab75-f044291cfbc4

David Meltzer

David Meltzer speaking about Dianetics on SiriusXM.

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