Health
Super Bowl and sports fan depression: How to cope when your team loses, according to mental health experts
You win some, you lose some — and the Super Bowl every year is no exception.
As the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers went at it in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday night, fans were headed either for a victory dance or a major let-down — and we all know the dramatic outcome by now, with the Chiefs taking it in overtime by a score of 25-22.
So what happens when your favorite team loses? Experts say a loss could lead to sports fan depression.
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Although not clinically recognized as a medical condition, sports fan depression is a “very real experience for avid sports fans,” said licensed professional counselor Jill Lamar, who is based in Pennsylvania.
“Sports fan depression occurs when your team or favorite player loses to the competition,” she told Fox News Digital.
A Chiefs fan (left) and a 49ers fan react to plays in previous games. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“For those who are overly invested in the outcome of sporting events — especially something as titanic as the Super Bowl — their emotional attachment to their hometown or favorite team can get in the way of their happiness and mental health.”
Lamar, who provides counseling services at Thriveworks in Philadelphia, noted that sports fan depression can leave people with feelings of sadness, frustration, numbness and lack of interest in activities they previously enjoyed.
These emotions can last for two weeks or more after the game ends, she said.
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“You may be distracted at work or withdraw socially, especially now that the season that brought you together with your fellow fans has ended,” she said.
Christopher La Lima, PhD, a licensed psychologist at NYU Langone, also discussed the condition with Fox News Digital, noting how much goes into being a sports fan.
Chiefs fan “KC Mike” yells out to Chiefs players during warmups before a game against the Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 16, 2021. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“Time, effort, money,” he said. “Being a sports fan can involve a shared common cause and building of a community.”
The psychologist echoed that sports fans may experience feelings of loss and grief when their team loses.
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“Loss can be experienced in many ways, such as through the loss of a loved one, a relationship, aspects of health, a job or a role where someone feels a sense of purpose,” he said.
“While sports fan depression is not a formal mental health diagnosis, the emotional distress is real.”
Clocking the warning signs
The friends and partners of sports fans are “most likely well aware of the impending reactions to their team losing,” according to Lamar.
Some warning signs of sports fan depression include becoming frustrated and upset when your team drops a ball, a field goal bounces off the goal post or a play is thwarted by the opposition, Lamar said.
Frustration during a game can build until it becomes a “frightening rage,” a psychologist said. (iStock)
This condition most often appears in men, although it is not exclusive to one gender alone.
“Everyone who cares about sports is rooting for someone or a particular team,” she said. “And their disappointment will show — a sigh, the occasional frustrated outburst, a sad face at the end of the game as they leave the bar or turn off the game.”
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“If these reactions continue to grow into sadness and irritability way past the last whistle, it could be a sign of sports fan depression.”
Frustration during a game can build until it becomes a “frightening rage,” according to Lamar.
But after the game, sports fan depression turns that anger “inward” and can “become debilitating,” she said.
Jessica Rodriguez and her husband Tony Rodriguez of Concord, California, react while watching the San Francisco 49ers play the Kansas City Chiefs during a Super Bowl watch party at SPIN San Francisco on Feb. 2, 2020, in San Francisco, California. (Philip Pacheco/Getty Images)
While the typical response of a sports fan after a big loss is a few days of complaints and sadness, people experiencing sports fan depression can experience symptoms for months.
LaLima stressed the importance of making the distinction between sports fan depression and recognized depressive disorders.
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“Clinical depression, and more specifically major depressive disorder, involves specific diagnostic criteria and persisting symptoms that cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning,” he said.
Some major depressive disorder symptoms can include depressed mood, loss of interest in activities, significant changes in appetite or weight, fatigue, changes in sleep, and feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, according to La Lima.
How to cope
Since not everyone can be a winner, Lamar and La Lima offered some tips on how to cope with the initial wave of sadness after a loss.
Lamar suggested that “putting things into perspective can help shift a sports fan’s view of the outcome, whether it’s good or bad.”
People experiencing sports fan depression can see symptoms continue for months, according to experts. (iStock)
“With many platforms showing games 24/7, it’s easy to let a preoccupation with sports become a mind-numbing habit bordering on addiction,” she said.
“Don’t let your interest in sports overtake the other more important aspects of your life.”
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Lamar encouraged sports fans to “take a deep breath” and list their goals and the “priorities necessary to realize them.”
While people tend to think in “black and white terms” when experiencing negative emotions, La Lima advised sports fans to think more flexibly.
“Problem-solving and impulse control can improve when these negative emotions become less intense,” he said.
“Don’t let your interest in sports overtake the other more important aspects of your life,” advised a licensed mental health counselor. (iStock)
“When acting in these moments, I like to think, ‘Cool the iron before you get burned.’”
Other coping skills can include taking a brief separation from sports, seeking out other distractions and using self-soothing techniques like deep breathing and self-care, La Lima said.
“Tackle feelings of emptiness after a big loss by identifying where you feel purpose, [such as] in relationships with family and friends, and in your interests and community,” he said.
Fans should make different use of the time previously dedicated to the sport, said an expert.
“Sports can provide a structure for socializing … It can be helpful to stay socially connected and lean into social support,” noted La Lima.
Lamar also suggested making an effort to connect with friends who love the same sport — as well as with those who don’t.
San Francisco 49ers fans cheer in the first quarter of their NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Jan. 19, 2020. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)
And when the season is over, Lamar said, fans should make different use of the time previously dedicated to the sport.
“Learn a new skill, pick up chess, take a cooking class, join a MeetUp group — anything that sounds interesting,” she suggested.
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LaLima added that difficult feelings often need to be spoken about, as “holding onto them can make us feel like a shaken soda bottle.”
“Rather than letting pressure build and opening it all at once, loosen the cap a little at a time,” he advised. “Talk about day-to-day thoughts and feelings in real time.”
Christopher Nicholas La Lima, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone. (NYU Langone Health)
The psychologist reiterated that depressive disorders often require evaluation and treatment from mental health professionals.
“Those concerned should seek professional mental health support in this regard,” he said.
Before Sunday night’s game — which saw the Chiefs take the win in dramatic fashion in overtime — Lamar joked ahead of the final outcome on Sunday night that fans should “wave to Taylor Swift,” no matter what.
“She’s made one helluva effort to get there,” she said.
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A popular class of weight-loss drugs may prevent life-threatening cardiac complications by opening microscopic blood vessels that often remain blocked after a heart attack, according to a study published this week in Nature Communications.
The research, led by the University of Bristol and University College London, identified a biological brain-gut-heart signaling pathway.
This discovery appears to explain how GLP-1 drugs — which mimic glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite — protect heart tissue from a condition known as “no-reflow.”
“In nearly half of all heart attack patients, tiny blood vessels within the heart muscle remain narrowed, even after the main artery is cleared during emergency medical treatment,” Dr. Svetlana Mastitskaya, the study’s lead author and a senior lecturer at Bristol Medical School, said in a press release.
“This results in a complication known as ‘no-reflow,’ where blood is unable to reach certain parts of the heart tissue.”
In nearly half of all heart attack patients, tiny capillaries (blood vessels) remain narrowed even after the main blocked artery is cleared. (iStock)
This lack of blood flow increases the risk of heart failure and death within a year. GLP-1 medications could prevent this, according to the researchers.
How it works
When the GLP-1 hormone is released in the gut or administered as a drug, it sends a signal to the brain, which then sends a signal to the heart that switches on special potassium channels in tiny cells called pericytes.
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When these channels open, the pericytes relax, which allows the small blood vessels (capillaries) to widen and improve blood flow to the heart muscle, the researchers noted.
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The new study used animal models and cellular imaging to track how GLP-1 interacts with heart tissue. When the researchers removed the potassium channels, the drugs no longer protected the heart — confirming they play a key role.
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 medications, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could be repurposed as emergency treatments. (iStock)
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 medications, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could be repurposed as emergency treatments during or immediately after a heart attack to reduce tissue damage.
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The researchers noted several limitations, including that the study relied on animal models.
Clinical trials are necessary to determine whether the brain-gut-heart pathway operates with the same timing and efficacy in humans.
While the study highlights the drug’s immediate benefits during a heart attack, it des not establish whether long-term use of these drugs provides a pre-existing level of protection. (iStock)
Additionally, while the study highlights the drug’s immediate benefits during a heart attack, it does not establish whether long-term use of the medication provides a pre-existing level of protection.
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The research was primarily funded by the British Heart Foundation.
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Collagen supplements have exploded in popularity, touted as everything from an anti-aging miracle to a muscle recovery booster.
But a sweeping new review conducted by U.K. researchers suggests that while collagen may help improve skin elasticity and ease arthritis pain, it does little for athletic performance or wrinkle reduction.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University analyzed 16 systematic reviews and 113 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 8,000 participants worldwide, which they say is the most extensive evaluation of collagen’s health effects to date.
The review found consistent evidence that collagen supplementation improves skin elasticity and hydration over time and provides significant relief from osteoarthritis-related joint pain and stiffness, according to findings published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum.
A large U.K. review found that collagen supplements may improve skin elasticity and hydration over time. (iStock)
The researchers, however, did not find meaningful improvements in post-exercise muscle recovery, soreness or tendon mechanical properties (strength, springiness and stretch resistance).
“Collagen is not a cure-all, but it does have credible benefits when used consistently over time, particularly for skin and osteoarthritis,” co-author Lee Smith, professor of public health at Anglia Ruskin University, said in a statement.
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“Our findings show clear benefits in key areas of healthy aging, while also dispelling some of the myths surrounding its use,” Smith added.
Collagen, the most abundant protein in the body, supports skin, bones, tendons, cartilage and connective tissue, according to experts. Natural collagen production begins to drop in early adulthood and declines more sharply with age.
The study found that collagen supplements may help reduce joint pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis. (iStock)
The review found that long-term collagen supplementation was linked to improved skin firmness and hydration, but did not help skin roughness — a proxy for visible wrinkles.
Benefits appear to accumulate gradually, suggesting that collagen should not be viewed as an “anti-wrinkle ‘quick fix,’ but as a foundational dermal support for individuals seeking holistic skin maintenance,” the researchers said.
“If we define anti-aging as a product or technique designed to prevent the appearance of getting older, then I believe our findings do support this claim for some parameters,” Smith told the BBC. “For example, an improvement in skin tone and moisture is associated with a more youthful-looking appearance.”
Collagen supplementation was linked to reduced pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis, with stronger benefits seen over longer periods of use, and showed modest improvements in muscle mass and tendon structure that may support healthy aging.
Collagen did not significantly improve skin roughness, a marker of visible wrinkles. (iStock)
However, it did not show meaningful results when used as a fast-acting sports performance supplement, and evidence for benefits related to cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and oral health was mixed or inconclusive.
Dr. Daniel Ghiyam, a California-based physician and longevity specialist, said the findings align with what he sees in clinical practice.
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“Collagen is a targeted support tool, not a foundation of health or performance,” Ghiyam, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “When marketed that way, it makes sense. When marketed as a cure-all, it doesn’t hold up to the data.”
The authors noted that while many previous collagen studies have received financial support from the supplement industry, the current review did not receive industry funding.
Experts say collagen supplements may offer modest benefits for skin hydration and joint comfort, but they are not a cure-all. (iStock)
The team called for more high-quality clinical trials examining long-term outcomes, optimal dosages and differences between collagen sources, such as marine, bovine and plant-based alternatives.
Among its limitations, the review could not determine whether certain forms of collagen work better than others or what the optimal regimen should be.
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While the review included randomized controlled trials, the quality of the studies varied, with newer research generally showing stronger results.
Experts say more data and studies are needed to build on the findings. They also noted that diet plays a crucial role in skin health.
Collagen supplements, often sold as powders or pills, may improve skin elasticity and ease joint pain, experts say. (iStock)
Dr. Erum Ilyas, a Pennsylvania-based dermatologist and chair of dermatology at Drexel University College of Medicine, noted that the review analyzed previously published meta-analyses rather than generating new primary data.
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“At this time, I have not seen sufficiently strong independent evidence to routinely recommend collagen supplements to my patients,” Ilyas, who was not involved in the review, told Fox News Digital.
“Although some studies show modest improvements in markers such as hydration and elasticity, there remains limited independent, biopsy-confirmed evidence demonstrating sustained increases in dermal collagen content,” she added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the researchers for comment.
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As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
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The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
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“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
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More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
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When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
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