P095 Factors associated with sleep and mental health problems following athletic retirement

Abstract

Introduction

Despite growing research on the sleep and mental health of athletes, there is limited literature on their sleep health following retirement from sport. The aim of this study was to investigate potential factors associated with symptoms of sleep and mental health disorders in former athletes.

Methods

Former athletes (N=173, 50% women) who retired from any sport or competition level ≤20 years ago completed an online survey, consisting of the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ), Personal Wellbeing Index-Adult (PWI-A), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised (CESD-R), and Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7).

Results

Self-disclosed lifetime diagnosis of sleep disorder(s) and mental health disorder(s) was reported by 28.3% and 45.1% of former athletes, respectively. Binary logistic regressions showed that age (OR=0.95[95% CI:0.92, 0.99], p=.007) and gender (OR=2.28[95% CI:1.09, 4.79], p=.029) were associated with anxiety symptoms, with women and younger ex-athletes presenting greater risk. Increased BMI was associated with risk for sleep disordered breathing (OR=1.20[95% CI:1.10, 1.30], p<.001), sleep difficulty (OR=1.13[95% CI:1.03, 1.23], p=.008), and poor wellbeing (OR=0.91[95% CI:0.85, 0.98], p=.010). Those who placed a lower priority on sport whilst competing had greater risk for sleep disordered breathing (OR=2.00[95% CI:1.05, 3.80], p=.035). Recency of retirement was not associated with any measures.

Discussion

Findings indicate that former athletes are not exempt from poor sleep and mental ill-health. Results provide preliminary insight into predictive factors for difficulty transitioning out of sport. Future longitudinal research should consider the interplay between sport reintegration and the timing of sleep and mental health problems.