['The primary aim was to establish the association between osteoarthritis (OA) and the occurrence and comorbidity of symptoms of common mental disorders (CMD: distress, anxiety/depression, sleep disturbance, adverse alcohol use) in a group of former elite athletes (rugby, football, ice hockey, Gaelic sports and cricket). A secondary aim was to explore this association in the subgroups of sports.', 'Cross-sectional analysis was performed on the baseline questionnaires from five prospective cohort studies conducted between April 2014 and January 2016 in former elite athletes of rugby, football, ice hockey, Gaelic sports and cricket. The presence of OA (diagnosed by a medical professional) was examined with a single question, and symptoms of CMD were evaluated through multiple validated questionnaires (4DSQ, GHQ-12, PROMIS, AUDIT-C).', 'There was a significant association between OA and symptoms of distress (OR 1.7, 95\xa0% CI 1.2-2.6), sleep disturbance (OR 1.6, 95\xa0% CI 1.1-2.3), adverse alcohol use (OR 1.8, 95\xa0% CI 1.2-2.6) and a comorbidity of symptoms of CMD (OR 1.5, 95\xa0% CI 1.0-2.1) in former elite athletes.'] Is osteoarthritis associated with symptoms of common mental disorders among former elite athletes?