The Impact of Athletic Retirement on Anxiety in Elite Athletes, A Critically Appraised Topic

Though there is growing interest in athletic mental health, this interest appears to diminish significantly once an athlete enters athletic retirement. The abrupt transition can precipitate mental health struggles, exacerbated by the lack of adequate preparation for lifestyle after retirement and the attachment of athletic identity to their sport. Consequently, these circumstances may increase symptoms associated with poor mental health, with a specific focus on anxiety. As the athlete retires and moves into different stages of life, research notes that athletes with stronger athletic identities have poorer mental health than those who had weaker athletic identity. While the scrutiny surrounding mental health intensifies as athletes approach the conclusion of their sporting careers, there exists a conspicuous void in research regarding the trajectory of anxiety levels in the years that follow. This critically appraised topic will investigate the interaction between athletic retirement and level of anxiety in elite athletes. Our search yielded four articles that suggest there is moderate consistency and moderate-level evidence supporting the increased level of anxiety levels in elite-level athletes upon athletic retirement. Overall, implementing strategies to ease the transition, pre-retirement, would exponentially aid in this process.