TY - JOUR T1 - A retrospective 30-year follow-up study of former Swedish-elite male athletes in power sports with a past anabolic androgenic steroids use: a focus on mental health JF - British Journal of Sports Medicine JO - Br J Sports Med SP - 965 LP - 969 DO - 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091340 VL - 47 IS - 15 AU - A S Lindqvist AU - T Moberg AU - B O Eriksson AU - C Ehrnborg AU - T Rosén AU - C Fahlke Y1 - 2013/10/01 UR - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/15/965.abstract N2 - Background The knowledge concerning the long-term effect of former anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS)-use on mental health is sparse. Aim This study aims to investigate whether previous AAS-use affects mental health, present sociodemographic data, sport activity and substance abuse in a retrospective 30-year follow-up study of former elite athletes. Methods Swedish male-elite power sport athletes (n=683) on the top 10 national ranking lists during any of the years 1960–1979 in wrestling, Olympic lifting, powerlifting and the throwing events in track and field answered a questionnaire. Results At least 20% of the former athletes admitted previous AAS-use. They had more often sought professional expertise for mental problems and had used illicit drugs compared to those not having used AAS. The AAS-users also differed in former sport activity pattern compared to non AAS-users. Conclusions It is clear that a relationship exists between use of AAS and mental-health problems. Further studies need to be done in order to clarify this relationship. ER -