Exploring the Emotional Well-being and Mental Health of Individuals who Play Fantasy Football, 2021

The growth of fantasy football has been rapid over the last decade, yet surprisingly, very little is understood about the emotional and mental health experiences associated with playing the game. The present study utilised an adapted version of the Multidimensional Emotion Questionnaire (MEQ) and questionnaires measuring low mood, anxiety, functional impairment, and problematic behaviour to measure the emotions of 1,995 fantasy football players, who were categorised based on their experience and engagement with the game. It was found that positive emotions were experienced in fantasy football significantly more often, more intensely, and for a longer duration than negative emotions. Additionally, it was found that individuals who engaged most in fantasy football (i.e. high time spent playing, researching, and thinking about the game) had significantly worse mental health scores towards the game than those who engaged less. These individuals also had significantly higher frequencies, intensities, and durations of both positive and negative emotions, as well as greater difficulty regulating these emotions. Overall, fantasy football is generally more helpful than it is harmful to one’s emotional well-being, though high levels of engagement produce elevated levels of mental health concerns and both positive and negative emotions.