There are few careers comparable to those pertaining to elite athletics. Perhaps there are none. It can be an exciting and extremely rewarding vocation, but the expression “The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long” aptly describes how it ends for many of those involved. Some are able to transition into life’s second act without a hitch, but others struggle with the departure from competition, fandom, and other activities that kept dopamine firing in a rapid succession. Compromised mental health ensues for a significant number of the latter, with research finding that depression rates in former athletes are as high as 39%. More concerning, is that related suicide rates are 2–4 times higher for former male athletes than the general male population.
Retired athlete depression is a very real concern. Investment must be made to ramp up access to support platforms not just for former athletes, but to ensure that the infrastructure is in place for the next crop of retired athletes behind them as they graduate from professional competition into the proverbial real world. While that is a whole other discussion in itself, it’s important to first focus on why depression is so prevalent in life after sport. Let’s review.
What May Increase the Risk of Depression in Retired Athletes and What Can Be Done About It
How Close Self Identity is Tied to Being an Athlete
“Football becomes your identity. Your family buys into it, your friends buy into it, the alums from your college buy into it. And then it is gone. You are gone.”
George Koonce, retired NFL linebacker
Many people are surprised to learn that the average career span for professional athletes (MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL) is just under 6 years. That’s a tough pill to swallow for those whose self-identity is closely tied to athletics. Athletic identity is defined as the degree to which a player/competitor identifies with their sport. The higher the degree, the more likely they are to deal with mental health fallout when they are no longer a professional athlete. High-degree retired athletes struggle to find purpose after sports, and when there is nothing defined for them to pursue when they hang up their jerseys, depression is given the opportunity to creep in.
Early intervention is critical to cultivating a more rounded self-identity as athletes progress from high school to collegiate sports and on to professional athletics. That way when they retire only a part of their identity is laid to rest. The problem, is that the opportunity to cultivate a more rounded self-identity is interrupted when an athlete is thrust into an elite level at an early age. Please keep reading.
Education Level and Socioeconomic Status
If a retired athlete entered professional sport before completing post secondary education, their risk of depression increases. The CDC reports that the prevalence of depression is higher in adults with lower education levels when compared to the general population.
Let’s have a look at the percentages of professional athletes who have received a university degree before, during, or after competing at a professional level:
- 46% of NFL players have degrees
- 21% of NBA players have degrees
- 4.3% of MLB players have degrees
Taken collectively, a vast majority of former athletes have not completed education beyond a postsecondary environment. This leaves them with a singular self-identity that opens up the gateway to depression.
It’s also important to note that the interruption of education is tethered to socioeconomic status. Elite athletes who have experienced the trauma of poverty may abandon education and jump into professional sports before their window closes due to age and the ever present threat of injury. The same CDC report referenced above confirms that those who comes from lower income households and poverty have an increased risk of depression. This doesn’t just go away with as lucrative contracts enter the picture. Instead, the fear of returning to an impoverished state remains ever-present and further taxes retired athlete mental health, especially once they no longer have six or seven figure incomes coming in.
Age of Retirement
The younger an athlete is when they retire from elite athletics, the more vulnerable they may be to developing depression. This may seem contradictory to some, given that one may assume that the older a retiring athlete is, the more they may identify solely as an athlete. However, limited research has found the opposite to be true.
In one study that compared college athletes to retired college athletes, it was found that the younger (and still competing) crop was twice as likely to have depression than their retired counterparts. Researchers speculated that this was due to the stressors experienced by college athletes such as overtraining, injury, pressure to perform, lack of free time or stress from schoolwork. However, it may also be speculated that their mental facilities are not as well equipped to deal with challenges to their self-identity. Research finds that delayed brain maturation may represent a risk factor for depression or constitute an effect of developing depression. More research needs to be done, but logic does dictate that the younger an athlete is when forced to retire from their passion, the more unprepared they are to manage their feelings and emotions on the matter.
Premature Retirement Due to Injury
Retirement from athletics is rarely by outright choice. Not many among the elite leave at the top of their game with a storybook ending to cap off a successful career. Instead, many are directly or are indirectly forced into retirement because their bodies have failed them. Research on athlete depression after injury is well documented, with the following being associated with the mental health disorder among athletes:
- Chronic inflammation
- Fear of not being competitive after injury
- Public scrutiny
- Preexisting vulnerabilities to depression
- Participation in unhealthy dopamine-chasing activities such as gambling and sexual risk taking
View more on Athlete Depression After Injury for insight into why athletes who retire due to injury may face an inflated risk of the disorder.
Common Athlete Mental Health Issues that Cooccur with Depression
There are mental health problems and disorders commonly experienced by athletes that are known to cooccur with depression. If an elite athlete has lived with and enters into retirement with any one of these concerns, their vulnerability to developing depression, or more severe depression, may increase. These issues and disorders include the following:
- Chronic stress
- Anxiety disorder
- Eating disorders
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Process Addictions (problem gambling, gaming, etc.)
View more on mental health issues that may cooccur with retired athlete depression.
Retirement Activities that May Contribute to Depression
This carries over from the reference to process addictions above. A study conducted by UNLV found that more former athletes are classified as probable pathological gamblers (13%) than are both current athletes (7.0%) and non-athletes (3.0%). Males have significantly higher frequencies (12%) than females (3.3%). Given that problem gambling is comorbid with depression, it becomes clear that a retired athlete who exhibits gambling behavior has a greater vulnerability. Studies have also found an association of problematic video gaming in elite male athletes, which also coexists with depression.
Overcoming Life After Sport Depression in the Retired Athlete
Healthy Lifestyle Alternatives for Retired Athletes
Considering everything above, it’s important for athletes to plan for retirement by diversifying their identity, so to speak. The following healthy lifestyle alternatives can help make one more well-rounded and add layers of depth to their current and future life experiences which may help stave off symptoms of depression.
Education: Retired athletes are encouraged to buck the statistics and trends and complete a post secondary education, choosing any field of study that they are passionate about, even if it is steeped in another branch of athletics (kinesiology, etc.).
Coaching: Retired athletes are innately qualified to coach players in the same sport (or adjacent sport) that they competed in. While it may seem that it ties into the issue regarding singular self-identity, a coach/trainer is also an educator and mentor that has a lot more to offer society, and themselves with respect to self-growth.
Hobbies: Never downplay the importance of hobbies. Retired athletes can healthily immerse themselves in a variety of interests outside of their sport in a manner than keeps them engaged and produces dopamine in a productive manner. Golf is a popular one, but passions such as the culinary arts, photography, art, writing, and even collecting can be very rewarding and diversify one’s self-identity.
Travel: Many retired elite athletes have the means to travel and explore the world. Those who feel the lure of wanderlust are encouraged to skip the weekend trips to Vegas with the old gang and instead escape to uncharted territories where they will be exposed to new cultures and learning experiences. Further, research finds that the risk of depression increases for maturing individuals who do not travel.
Counseling: Lastly, we conclude with the most beneficial call to action for preventing and treating retired athlete depression. Ongoing counseling and therapy for mild-to-severe depression and/or cooccurring mental/behavioral health concerns is the key to enjoying life after sport. The more customized and dedicated the program is, the more effective it will be. Only therapists who are experienced in working with elite athletes in the matters discussed above are qualified to formulate this strategy. Further, it is ideal for regular counseling to begin while still competing (as applicable) as it sets the table for greater mental health prior to entering retirement. This short interview of NFL cornerback Isaiah Rodgers speaks volumes about the effectiveness of therapeutic intervention.
Kindbridge Behavioral Health specializes in the treatment of mental and behavioral health disorders experienced by athletes. If you are concerned about your wellbeing and/or want to take a more proactive approach to your mental health, reach out via the contacts provided below.
Concerned About Depression in Life After Sport?
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