Display options
Cite
Newman HJ, Howells KL, Fletcher D. The Dark Side of Top Level Sport: An Autobiographic Study of Depressive Experiences in Elite Sport Performers. Front Psychol. 2016;7:868doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00868.
Newman, H. J., Howells, K. L., & Fletcher, D. (2016). The Dark Side of Top Level Sport: An Autobiographic Study of Depressive Experiences in Elite Sport Performers. Frontiers in psychology, 7868. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00868
Newman, Hannah J H, et al. "The Dark Side of Top Level Sport: An Autobiographic Study of Depressive Experiences in Elite Sport Performers." Frontiers in psychology vol. 7 (2016): 868. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00868
Newman HJ, Howells KL, Fletcher D. The Dark Side of Top Level Sport: An Autobiographic Study of Depressive Experiences in Elite Sport Performers. Front Psychol. 2016 Jun 07;7:868. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00868. eCollection 2016. PMID: 27375544; PMCID: PMC4896110.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Front Psychol. 2016 Jun 07;7:868. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00868. eCollection 2016.

The Dark Side of Top Level Sport: An Autobiographic Study of Depressive Experiences in Elite Sport Performers.

Frontiers in psychology

Hannah J H Newman, Karen L Howells, David Fletcher

Affiliations

  1. School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University Loughborough, UK.
  2. Faculty of Education and Language Studies, The Open University Milton Keynes, UK.

PMID: 27375544 PMCID: PMC4896110 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00868

Abstract

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.

Keywords: athletes; depression; health; mental; performance; well-being

References

  1. J Occup Environ Med. 2013 Mar;55(3):252-8 - PubMed
  2. Scand J Occup Ther. 2015 Mar;22(2):126-36 - PubMed
  3. Clin J Sport Med. 2013 Jul;23(4):273-7 - PubMed
  4. Occup Med (Lond). 2011 May;61(3):209-11 - PubMed
  5. Am J Psychiatry. 2006 Sep;163(9):1569-76 - PubMed
  6. PM R. 2010 May;2(5):442-50 - PubMed
  7. Br J Psychiatry. 2009 Mar;194(3):201-3 - PubMed
  8. Front Psychol. 2016 Jan 11;6:2009 - PubMed
  9. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 Jun;39(6):903-9 - PubMed
  10. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Feb;50(3):145-8 - PubMed
  11. Lancet. 2005 Dec;366 Suppl 1:S36-7 - PubMed
  12. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2015 Jun;131(6):426-33 - PubMed
  13. Phys Sportsmed. 2009 Oct;37(3):29-34 - PubMed
  14. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Feb;50(3):136-7 - PubMed
  15. J Sports Sci. 2014;32(15):1419-34 - PubMed
  16. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2015 Jun;131(6):401-7 - PubMed
  17. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2013 Aug;28(5):418-24 - PubMed
  18. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Feb;50(3):135-6 - PubMed
  19. Eur Psychiatry. 2015 Jan;30(1):51-7 - PubMed
  20. Sports Health. 2013 May;5(3):263-6 - PubMed
  21. J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2009 Feb;31(1):60-76 - PubMed
  22. J Sci Med Sport. 2015 May;18(3):255-61 - PubMed
  23. Clin J Sport Med. 2007 Nov;17(6):481-7 - PubMed
  24. Am J Psychiatry. 2004 Oct;161(10):1885-91 - PubMed
  25. Br J Psychiatry. 2012 Feb;200(2):95-6 - PubMed
  26. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2009 Oct;30(5):376-84 - PubMed
  27. J Pers. 1993 Sep;61(3):343-64 - PubMed
  28. J Am Coll Health. 2009 Mar-Apr;57(5):521-6 - PubMed
  29. BMC Psychiatry. 2012 Sep 26;12:157 - PubMed
  30. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2015 Jan;14(1):56-60 - PubMed

Publication Types