Mental Health of Former Athletes in the Field of Orthopedics: A Systematic Review

This study aimed to use a systematic review approach to identify the post-retirement mental health of former athletes in the field of orthopedic surgery and provide suggestions for building support for former athletes. This systematic review was conducted according to the Minds Practice Guidelines Development Manual 2020 ver. 3. The search engines that were used were the Central Journal of Medicine Web, PubMed, CINAHL/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO. Three articles met the eligibility criteria at primary and secondary screening and were reviewed by two investigators to assess the mental health of former athletes after retirement from competition. Although the orthopedic diagnoses of the former athletes included in the studies differed, retirement under unacceptable conditions, such as sudden retirement advice, had a greater impact on post-athletic mental health when transitioning from active to competitive retirement than retirement, which reflected the former athlete’s wishes. Athletic injuries are also considered a major factor that has a negative impact on mental health after retirement from athletics, and it is necessary to build long-term support not only for the process of retirement from athletics but also for physical follow-up.

Keywords: Orthopedics, Sports, Athletes, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Systematic Review