Case Report: Overload of a cross-country skier in elite sports, somatoform autonomic disorder, and end-of-career support

Introduction: In recent years, sports psychiatry and psychotherapy has developed rapidly. Under the umbrella of the International Society for Sports Psychiatry (ISSP), the first international consensus statement on sports psychiatry was recently published. Fields of sports psychiatry were identified. In the field of competitive and elite sports, the end of a sports career is a vulnerable phase. The end of a sports career can lead to an increased prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and disorders. This is illustrated using the case of a cross-country skier. Case description: The interactions between success, mental health, stress, training and overload are presented. In this context, a treatment with the Synergetic Navigation System (SNS) for digitized real-time monitoring is presented, considering the interaction of the various factors. Symptoms of overtraining were apparently helpful in treating somatoform autonomic dysfunction. The pre-treatment proved helpful when the athlete returned for treatment years later due to depression at the end of his career. Discussion: To set a standard of service and a direction for future development in the field of sports psychiatry and psychotherapy, it is necessary to define typical and problematic issues to develop common approaches. The end of a career is an important issue in competitive and elite sports, and one in which athletes need support, recommended with integration into mental health care and prevention concepts. Conclusion: At the end of a sports career thorough and comprehensive preparation for post sport life is highly recommended. An "Exit Health Examination" including mental health exploration and "After Career Consultations" could be beneficial.