Appendix 1.

Search Strategy Continued on Next Page

Database	Search Strategy	Results
EMBASE	1. “cognitive defect”/exp	1792
	2. “depression”/exp
	3. ((Cogniti* OR neuropsychological OR neurocognitive OR executive OR brain) NEAR/3 (impairment OR defect* OR function* OR dysfunction* OR process* OR symptom* OR factor* OR Deficit* OR disorder*)):ti,ab
	4. (Neuropsychological NEAR/3 test*):ti,ab
	5. Depressi*:ti,ab
	6. 1 OR 2 OR 3 OR 4 OR 5
	7. “athlete”/exp
	8. ((Athlete* OR “sports person” OR sportswomen OR sportswoman OR sportsman OR sportsmen OR rugby OR player* OR box* OR “contact-sport”) NEAR/5 (retire* OR former)):ti,ab
	9. 7 OR 8
	10. 6 AND 9
PsychINFO	1. DE “Cognitive Impairment” OR DE “Depression (Emotion)” OR DE “Executive Function”	783
	2. TI ((Cogniti* OR neuropsychological OR neurocognitive OR executive OR brain) N3 (impairment OR defect* OR function* OR dysfunction* OR process* OR symptom* OR factor* OR Deficit* OR disorder*)) OR AB ((Cogniti* OR neuropsychological OR neurocognitive OR executive OR brain) N3 (impairment OR defect* OR function* OR dysfunction* OR process* OR symptom* OR factor* OR Deficit* OR disorder))
	3. TI (Neuropsychological N3 test*) OR AB (Neuropsychological N3 test*)
	4. TI Depressi* OR AB Depressi*
	5. S1 OR S2 OR S3 OR S4
	6. DE “Athletes”
	7. TI ((Athlete* OR “sports person” OR sportswomen OR sportswoman OR sportsman OR sportsmen OR rugby OR player* OR box* OR “contact- sport”) N5 (retire* OR former)) OR AB ((Athlete* OR “sports person” OR sportswomen OR sportswoman OR sportsman OR sportsmen OR rugby OR player* OR box* OR “contact-sport”) N5 (retire* OR former))
	8. S6 OR S7
	9. S5 AND S8
MEDLINE/PubMed	1. (MH “Cognition Disorders+”) OR (MH “Neurocognitive Disorders+”) OR (MH “Mild Cognitive Impairment”) OR (MH “Depression”) OR (MH “Depressive Disorder+”)	459
	2. TI ((Cogniti* OR neuropsychological OR neurocognitive OR executive OR brain) N3 (impairment OR defect* OR function* OR dysfunction* OR process* OR symptom* OR factor* OR Deficit* OR disorder*)) OR AB ((Cogniti* OR neuropsychological OR neurocognitive OR executive OR brain) N3 (impairment OR defect* OR function* OR dysfunction* OR process* OR symptom* OR factor* OR Deficit* OR disorder))
	3. TI (Neuropsychological N3 test*) OR AB (Neuropsychological N3 test*)
	4. TI Depressi* OR AB Depressi*
	5. S1 OR S2 OR S3 OR S4
	6. (MH “Athletes”)
	7. TI ((Athlete* OR “sports person” OR sportswomen OR sportswoman OR sportsman OR sportsmen OR rugby OR player* OR box* OR “contact-sport”) N5 (retire* OR former)) OR AB ((Athlete* OR “sports person” OR sportswomen OR sportswoman OR sportsman OR sportsmen OR rugby OR player* OR box* OR “contact-sport”) N5 (retire* OR former))
	8. S6 OR S7
	9. S5 AND S8
CINAHL	1. (MH “Cognition Disorders+”) OR (MH “Depression+”)	239
	2. TI ((Cogniti* OR neuropsychological OR neurocognitive OR executive OR brain) N3 (impairment OR defect* OR function* OR dysfunction* OR process* OR symptom* OR factor* OR Deficit* OR disorder*)) OR AB ((Cogniti* OR neuropsychological OR neurocognitive OR executive OR brain) N3 (impairment OR defect* OR function* OR dysfunction* OR process* OR symptom* OR factor* OR Deficit* OR disorder))
	3. TI (Neuropsychological N3 test*) OR AB (Neuropsychological N3 test*)
	4. TI Depressi* OR AB Depressi*
	5. S1 OR S2 OR S3 OR S4
	6. (MH “Athletes”)
	7. TI ((Athlete* OR “sports person” OR sportswomen OR sportswoman OR sportsman OR sportsmen OR rugby OR player* OR box* OR “contact- sport”) N5 (retire* OR former)) OR AB ((Athlete* OR “sports person” OR sportswomen OR sportswoman OR sportsman OR sportsmen OR rugby OR player* OR box* OR “contact-sport”) N5 (retire* OR former))
	8. S6 OR S7
	9. S5 AND S8
Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials	1. [mh “Cognition Disorders”] OR [mh “Neurocognitive Disorders”] OR [mh “Mild Cognitive Impairment”] OR [mh “Depression”] OR [mh “Depressive Disorder”]	14
	2. ((Cogniti* or neuropsychological or neurocognitive or executive or brain) near/3 (impairment or defect* or function* or dysfunction* or process* or symptom* or factor* or Deficit* or disorder*)):ti,ab,kw
	3. (Neuropsychological NEAR/3 test*):ti,ab,kw
	4. Depressi*:ti,ab,kw
	5. {OR 1–4}
	6. [mh “Athletes”]
	7. ((Athlete* OR “sports person” OR sportswomen OR sportswoman OR sportsman OR sportmen OR rugby OR player* OR box* OR “contact- sport”) NEAR/5 (retire* OR former)):ti,ab,kw
	8. {OR 6, 7}
	9. {AND 5, 8}
Web of Science	1. TS=(( Cogniti* or neuropsychological or neurocognitive or executive or brain) NEAR/3 (impairment or defect* or function* or dysfunction* or process* or symptom* or factor* or Deficit* or disorder*)) OR TS=((Neuropsychological NEAR/3 test*)) OR TS=( Depressi*)	179
	2. TS=((Athlete* OR “sports person” OR sportswomen OR sportswoman OR sportsman OR sportsmen OR rugby OR player* OR box* OR “contact-sport”) NEAR/5 (retire* OR former))
	3. 2 AND 1