Adelaide, April 16: Athletes face significant challenges transitioning out of sports, with a new study highlighting that women and younger ex-athletes are particularly vulnerable to anxiety.
Conducted by Flinders University, this research surveyed 173 former athletes—half of whom are women—who had retired from competitive sports within the last two decades.
PhD candidate Ashley Montero sheds light on these findings in a recent publication in Frontiers in Psychology.
“Women are almost 2.3 times more likely to report anxiety and also younger people in the survey presented greater symptoms of anxiety, which has shown to be linked with reduced wellbeing and poorer sleep,” Montero explains.
This gender disparity might stem from men’s reluctance to discuss their mental health struggles, particularly within the context of sports.
The study also notes that retirement can lead to increased weight gain, unregulated eating, and less physical activity, all contributing to insomnia and sleep apnea symptoms among these athletes.
Despite finding similar levels of sleep difficulties between genders post-retirement, the risk of poor sleep health remains high for all.
“Although we found comparable sleep difficulty between women and men after retirement, both groups presented high risk for poor sleep health,” Montero adds.
The goal of Montero’s research is to enhance the support systems available to athletes as they transition out of sports.
By understanding the risk factors and profiles for mental health issues and disordered sleep, sports organizations can better support retiring athletes with tailored interventions.
“While we endorse the implementation of education and support on health optimization during an athlete’s sporting career, we argue that equal, if not greater, priority should be placed on support throughout retirement transitions,” Montero argues.
Social integration and connectivity in community sports programs, along with specialized roles focused on mental health, goal setting, and promoting good sleep practices, are beneficial during this transition. Co-author Professor Murray Drummond, also involved in master’s competition surf lifesaving, emphasizes the necessity of a comprehensive approach to retirement transitions.
“We need to take a multidisciplinary approach to developing intervention frameworks combining elements of education around sleep, mental health, physical activity, nutrition, and help-seeking for athlete career transition to facilitate healthier exits from sport,” says Professor Drummond of the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work at Flinders University.
Dr. Catherine Litchfield, a fellow researcher at Flinders University who retired from touch football due to injury, speaks about her personal experience.
“When my injuries forced me to stop playing sport, it was really confronting and I didn’t get a lot of support,” she shares. Losing her athlete identity significantly impacted her mental health, a sentiment that many in her position echo.
“I try to stay physically active through gym and rehabilitation exercises but that loss of community that comes with leaving sport is tricky to replace. It’s really hard to find that motivation to be active and healthy when sport is no longer an option.”
Litchfield’s experience underscores the study’s call to action for better support structures to assist athletes in navigating the profound life changes that follow sports retirement, helping them maintain their health and wellbeing outside the competitive sports environment.
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