Abstract
Background: Collegiate sports participation is integral to culture and identity. Transitioning from athletics to regular life often leads to significant mental health concerns. Abrupt lifestyle and identity changes can result in dietary, career, and health consequences that impact athletes' mental well-being. While some data addresses this transition, research focused on developing best practices to support athletes during this period remains limited. This study aims to conduct a scoping review to identify existing research and gaps concerning described supports in mental health, particularly depression and anxiety, in retired athletes.
Methods: A scoping review was conducted following SCOPING review guidelines. We analyzed original research, literature reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical trials, and case studies. Articles were sourced from PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase, and the Cochrane Library.
Results: A total of 169 articles were identified, with 61 selected for full-text screening and 9 included in the study. These comprised 4 cross-sectional studies analyzing survey data, 4 systematic or scoping reviews, and 1 qualitative analysis. While all articles addressed depression or anxiety, most focused on individuals returning to exercise post-injury and quality of life.
Conclusion: Current research highlights the needs of collegiate, professional, and retired athletes. Limited literature exists on former collegiate athletes, with available studies emphasizing university programs to ease transitions and help athletes apply their skills in retirement. Research gaps include examining programs across divisions and sports, minimizing self-reporting surveys, and conducting longitudinal studies. Future efforts should focus on addressing these gaps to better support athletes transitioning to life beyond sports.
Methods: A scoping review was conducted following SCOPING review guidelines. We analyzed original research, literature reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical trials, and case studies. Articles were sourced from PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase, and the Cochrane Library.
Results: A total of 169 articles were identified, with 61 selected for full-text screening and 9 included in the study. These comprised 4 cross-sectional studies analyzing survey data, 4 systematic or scoping reviews, and 1 qualitative analysis. While all articles addressed depression or anxiety, most focused on individuals returning to exercise post-injury and quality of life.
Conclusion: Current research highlights the needs of collegiate, professional, and retired athletes. Limited literature exists on former collegiate athletes, with available studies emphasizing university programs to ease transitions and help athletes apply their skills in retirement. Research gaps include examining programs across divisions and sports, minimizing self-reporting surveys, and conducting longitudinal studies. Future efforts should focus on addressing these gaps to better support athletes transitioning to life beyond sports.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| State | Published - 14 Feb 2025 |
| Event | Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Research Week 2025 - Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, United States Duration: 10 Feb 2025 → 14 Feb 2025 https://medicine.okstate.edu/research/research_days.html |
Conference
| Conference | Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Research Week 2025 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Tulsa |
| Period | 10/02/25 → 14/02/25 |
| Internet address |
Keywords
- anxiety
- depression
- former college athletes
- longitudinal studies
- educational programs
- athletic identity
- self-reporting bias
- scoping review