What is this thing called “Post-Olympic Blues”? An Exploratory Study Among Danish Olympic Athletes (original) (raw)
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Psychological aspects of Olympic athletes’ sport career termination and post-sport life
Studies in Sport Humanities, 2019
The chapter is dedicated to psychological aspects linked to sport career termination by high-performance athletes, the level of which is expressed by e.g.: Olympic successes. In the fi rst part, the path of development of the interest in the transition issue occurring in the course of sport career was presented. The second part is dedicated to an overview of the most important research reports concerning the circumstances of career termination by Olympic athletes as well as the course of their further development (after professional career termination). In the last part, suggestions and recommendations on the development of competences which facilitate the process of coping during and after the termination of the last transition phase in sport career are presented.
Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 2021
The post-Olympic period is complex and distressing for many Olympic athletes; preparing for the likely impacts of the Olympic Games amongst returning athletes is fundamental in managing the negative responses articulated as the post-Olympic blues. Mindful of the need for the development of interventions that can support athletes, this study engaged Olympic athletes in: (a) discussing their experiences relating to the Olympic and post-Olympic periods and, (b) informing the researchers on Olympians' opinions on the management of the post-Olympic blues. Fourteen Olympic athletes from the United Kingdom took part in focus groups which were analysed using Thematic Analysis. The analysis produced six mutually exclusive themes, The Olympic Dream, The Olympic Nightmare, Commodification, Perceptions of Social Support, Limited Preparation, and Managing and Overcoming. Through these themes the Olympians provided suggestions into how the content and potential facilitation of future interventions could better support athletes through their experiences. The findings were clear, Olympic athletes irrespective of whether they had previously competed in an Olympic Games expressed a desire for support in preparing for the post-Olympic experience. They expressed that this should be delivered primarily after the Olympic Games, with several athletes highlighting the value of an awareness raising session beforehand. Athletes proposed a shift away from expert sport psychology delivery of interventions in favour of a programme which was pragmatic in terms of content and delivered by former Olympians.
The post-Olympic Games experience: A qualitative investigation of Australian Rio Olympians
Background: While research into Olympic Athletes’ career transitions and retirement has led to a deeper understanding of important factors for athletes in this context, considerably less is known about the experiences of athletes in the immediate phase following an Olympic Games. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to investigate Australian Olympic athletes’ experiences during the period of time immediately following the conclusion of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. This involved investigating specific factors that influenced athletes’ post-games realities of success, failure, and return to everyday life.Design: Qualitative-inductiveMethods: Eighteen Australian Rio Olympic Games athletes (Female N=9, Male N=9) from a variety of team and individual sports participated in semi-structured interviews that explored their post-Olympic Games experiences. Thematic analysis was used to inductively analyse the data. Results: In the period immediately following the Rio Olympic campaign, m...
Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2021
Objectives: The purpose of this study was (a) to investigate mental well-being and the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in Danish male and female elite athletes, (b) to identify latent profiles in athletes based on their mental health and ill health, and (c) to examine whether the different profiles vary in selected protective and risk factors concerning mental health. Methods: A total of 612 Danish athletes (M = 18.99, SD = 4.29) from 18 different sports completed an online version of the Holistic Athlete Mental Health Survey that assessed well-being, depression, and anxiety together with potential risk and protective factors (e.g., injuries, stress, sleep, social support, sport environment). Results: Overall, 13.9% of athletes reported moderate or severe anxiety symptoms while 21.1% reported moderate or severe depressive symptoms. Female athletes had a significantly higher prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms and lower mental well-being scores than male athletes. Through a latent profile analysis, three distinctive mental health profiles (flourishing, moderate mental health, languishing) were discovered. MANOVA following Kruskal-Wallis tests revealed substantial differences between these profiles regarding their perception of social support, sport environment, and stressors from different life domains. Conclusions: Danish elite athletes display similar levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms as the Danish general population. Flourishing athletes report lower stress levels, receive higher support from the private and sport domain, and perceive their sport environment as more supportive than athletes who are languishing. A tailored approach is proposed to support athletes' mental health.
The general and sport psychology research converge to point to a complex relationship between depressive experiences and human performance. The purpose of this study was to explore the depressive experiences of top level athletes and the relationship of such experiences with sport performance. Twelve autobiographies of elite athletes representing eight sports were analyzed. The autobiographical analysis was informed by narrative tradition, using three types of narrative analysis: categorical content, categorical form, and holistic content. The analysis revealed a temporal aspect to the depressive experiences that the athletes reported. Initially, sport represented a form of escape from the depressive symptoms which had been exacerbated by both external stressors (e.g., experiencing bereavement) and internal stressors (e.g., low self-esteem). However, in time, the athletes typically reached a stage when the demands of their sport shifted from being facilitative to being debilitative in nature with an intensification of their depressive symptoms. This was accompanied by deliberations about continuing their engagement in sport and an acceptance that they could no longer escape from their symptoms, with or without sport. The findings extend the extant literature by suggesting a reciprocal relationship between depressive experiences and sport performance, and they support the general psychology literature relating to the negative impact of depression on performance. The applied implications of these findings are discussed emphasizing the importance of early identification of depressive symptoms and the adoption of a proactive approach in the prevention and management of symptoms.
Frontiers in Psychology
The general and sport psychology research converge to point to a complex relationship between depressive experiences and human performance. The purpose of this study was to explore the depressive experiences of top level athletes and the relationship of such experiences with sport performance. Twelve autobiographies of elite athletes representing eight sports were analyzed. The autobiographical analysis was informed by narrative tradition, using three types of narrative analysis: categorical content, categorical form, and holistic content. The analysis revealed a temporal aspect to the depressive experiences that the athletes reported. Initially, sport represented a form of escape from the depressive symptoms which had been exacerbated by both external stressors (e.g., experiencing bereavement) and internal stressors (e.g., low selfesteem). However, in time, the athletes typically reached a stage when the demands of their sport shifted from being facilitative to being debilitative in nature with an intensification of their depressive symptoms. This was accompanied by deliberations about continuing their engagement in sport and an acceptance that they could no longer escape from their symptoms, with or without sport. The findings extend the extant literature by suggesting a reciprocal relationship between depressive experiences and sport performance, and they support the general psychology literature relating to the negative impact of depression on performance. The applied implications of these findings are discussed emphasizing the importance of early identification of depressive symptoms and the adoption of a proactive approach in the prevention and management of symptoms.
As a multi-sport event that only takes place every four years and is accompanied by intense media coverage, the Olympic Games are often described by athletes as a defining moment in their careers. The objectives of the present study were: 1) to describe differences in expectations of Olympic debutants towards the Olympics and their actual experiences while they were at the Games; and 2) to describe how the athletes negotiate the balance between performing at and enjoying the experience of the Olympic Games. Further, we will discuss the athletes‘ stories in light of the differences between the goals and expectations of the elite sport system and those of the individual athletes. Data was collected through a qualitative interview study with a pre- and post-Olympic competition design. Using a semi-structured interview guide, we interviewed 14 Danish Olympic debutants about their Olympic goals and expectations within a month preceding their departure for the Olympic Games and about their actual experiences within a month following their return. Condensed narratives from two Olympic debutants represent the spectrum of the athletes‘ expectations and experiences: one failed in his performance but had a great experience; the other was successful and won a silver medal but was truly unhappy with her experience. The debutants emphasize balancing their desire to perform with a desire for social experiences. They also discussed the challenges posed during preparation and goal setting. Olympic debutants are caught in a very real dilemma between the Olympics as the ―most important competition of their athletic careers‖ and ―the Olympics as the experience of a lifetime.‖ This dilemma is linked to a wide rift between the perspectives and goals of the sport organization and those of the athletes. Olympic Games, debutants, performance stress, competition preparation.
Psychological Preparation of Athletes for the Olympic Games A Lead Paper Presented
The Olympic Games are usually the culmination of an athlete’s career. The chance to compete and excel at the Games comes around only every four years. It can be a chance of a lifetime in an athlete’s career, a chance to excel at the highest level. It can be an opportunity to justify years of hard work for this one moment of glory in the international spot light, an opportunity to get lots of media attention. A chance to perhaps reap big financial rewards in sports, which often get little to no recognition in the years preceding the Olympic Games. In addition, the Olympic Games are an unusual sporting experience for most athletes and an alien competition context for some (Greenleaf, Gould & Diefenbach, 2001; Hodge, 1993). The Olympics are unusual because (i) they only occur every four years and (ii) they are a multi sport event. Most elite athletes quickly become familiar with the annual schedule of international events in their particular sport (e.g., Davis Cup, World Cup etc) and adjust to the mental demands of such regular elite competition within their sporting discipline. The Olympics, on the other hand, only occur every four years and the Games are a multi sport event as opposed to a single sport event. This paper focused on common mental skill challenges at the Olympic games and various psychological skills preparations that can enhance performance at the Olympic games