Athlete burnout paves the way for further health problems

Recently, the mental health of athletes has gained increasing attention, as the high-pressure environments of sport can heighten the risk of mental health problems. One such mental health-related problem is athlete burnout—a multidimensional syndrome characterized by a feeling of disappointment that the sport one participates in is not as good as it once was believed to be (Eklund & DeFreese, 2020). The syndrome is often accompanied by symptoms of exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment in one’s sport, and placing less value on the sport (Raedeke & Smith, 2001). These symptoms have been linked with poorer athletic performance and increased dropout from sport. Concerningly, average burnout levels appear to have been increasing over the past two decades.

While burnout represents a mental health-related problem on its own, it has also been suggested to pave the way for further health problems. Research in a variety of work contexts shows that job burnout adversely affects both the physical and mental health of employees (Salvagioni et al., 2017). While fewer research articles on athletes have been published, the existing evidence base points toward a similar association between athlete burnout and physical and mental health problems. However, the majority of evidence has relied on taking a one-time snapshot, making it unclear whether burnout predicts these physical and mental health problems or simply correlates and co-occurs with them.

In a study published in 2024 in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, Hanna Glandorf and her colleagues used a three-wave longitudinal design to determine whether athlete burnout can predict several physical (i.e., physical and illness symptoms) and mental (i.e., depressive symptoms, sleep disruptions, life satisfaction) health problems over time in a sample of 267 athletes. They applied a random-intercept, cross-lagged panel model to differentiate between predictors and correlates in the relationships between burnout and health problems. The results showed that, overall, athlete burnout was correlated with all the examined health problems. In addition, over time, burnout predicted future increases in depressive symptoms, while sleep disruptions and life dissatisfaction predicted increases in burnout. Thus, the findings showed that burnout may pave the way for further health problems, such as depressive symptoms. They further suggested that some health problems, such as reduced sleep quality or life satisfaction, can increase the risk for burnout development.

This study highlights the need for prevention and intervention strategies targeted at burnout in sport settings. If left without intervention, athletes who experience burnout symptoms will likely develop depressive symptoms. As the findings showed sleep disruptions and life dissatisfaction to predict future burnout, these health problems may also be considered in the selection of prevention and intervention strategies. For example, prevention programs that integrate sleep hygiene practices may help reduce burnout risk. In turn, intervention strategies that increase life satisfaction, such as mindfulness-based interventions, might decrease burnout symptoms directly. Future research could test the effectiveness of these strategies in preventing and intervening with burnout, as well as with possible health problems like depression, to further solidify the evidence base.

This article received Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology’s 2024 Outstanding Paper of the Year Award.

This article is in the Health Psychology and Medicine topic area.

Eklund, R. C., & DeFreese, J. D. (2020). Athlete burnout. In G. Tenenbaum, R. C. Eklund, & N. Boiangin (Eds.), Handbook of sport psychology: Exercise, methodologies, & special topics (4th ed., pp. 1220–1240). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119568124.ch60opens in new window

Glandorf, H. L., Madigan, D. J., Kavanagh, O., Mallinson-Howard, S. H., Donachie, T. C., Olsson, L. F., & Rumbold, J. L. (2024). Athlete burnout and mental and physical health: A three-wave longitudinal study of direct and reciprocal effects. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 13(4), 412–431. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000355

Raedeke, T. D., & Smith, A. L. (2001). Development and Preliminary Validation of an Athlete Burnout Measure. Journal of sport & exercise psychology, 23(4), 281–306. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.23.4.281opens in new window

Salvagioni, D. A. J., Melanda, F. N., Mesas, A. E., González, A. D., Gabani, F. L., & Andrade, S. M. (2017). Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. PLOS One, 12(10), Article e0185781. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185781opens in new window

Hanna L. Glandorf, MSc, is a PhD candidate at York St. John University in the United Kingdom. Her research focuses on the physical and mental health consequences of burnout in athletes as well as in other populations. Contact Hanna Glandorf.

Daniel J. Madigan, PhD, is a professor of sport and health psychology at York St. John University. His research focuses on the global problem of increasing burnout. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on this topic.

Owen Kavanagh, PhD, is a senior lecturer in biomedical science at York St. John University. His research interests focus on biomarker discovery in the context of burnout.

Sarah H. Mallinson-Howard, PhD, is a senior lecturer in sport and exercise psychology at York St. John University. Her research focuses on the influence of individual differences alongside social factors on engagement, performance, and well-being in sport and educational contexts.

Tracy C. Donachie, PhD, is a lecturer in sport and exercise psychology at Newcastle University, a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS). Her research examines perfectionism and perfectionistic cognitions, as well as their psychological impact in sport, along with evaluating the effectiveness of interventions. As a chartered psychologist (BPS), a sport and exercise psychologist in training, and with more than 25 years’ experience working in applied sport environments, Tracy combines her academic experience and research with applied practice to help athletes navigate performance pressures and enhance their overall well-being.

Luke F. Olsson, PhD, has previously worked as a lecturer at the University of Essex and recently joined Liverpool John Moores University as a senior lecturer in sport and exercise psychology. His research interest broadly considers the need to better understand the factors that underpin mental health problems and performance in athletes. His peer-reviewed publications primarily focus on ascertaining the key reasons why an athlete could be vulnerable to experiencing burnout, as well as quantifying how burnout can influence an athlete, including health and performance consequences.

James L. Rumbold, PhD, previously worked as a principal lecturer in psychology at Arden University in the United Kingdom and recently joined the University of Derby as a senior lecturer in sport and exercise psychology. James is a chartered psychologist and associate fellow of the British Psychological Society. His applied research interests center around individual differences and stress management spanning a range of sport, work, and health contexts.