The athletes’ depression: a diffuse and ignored disease

At least 20% of the athletes is suffering from depression, the phenomenon regards a athlete on two when they get to the end of  their career.  When we talk about depression in sport two aspects must be taken into great consideration. The first, the psychopathology produced from neurosis and unstable behaviors is uncommon among  the elite athletes, because the sport is already a sort of  medicine against this type of event. At the same time, however, there is another risk factor: the choice to depend throughout the lives by achieving sports results, in addition to the contemporary value judgment as a person. So in the event of failure, to be questioned is the athlete whole life. A failure that can lead to a very severe depression and in extreme cases to suicide. The most critical phase in the athletes’ life is the approach to the end career. Here to take the risk and depression it’s the 50%. It does not depend on the popularity of the sport or the  academic degree of the person. When you turn off the limelight the lives of former athletes can become empty and dull. Who has been not prepared an alternative to the field ends up in the vortex of depression. In Italy,  the “dark evil” affects 6% of adults aged between 18 and 69 years, most of them are women. These data come by the system called ‘PASSI’ coordinated by the National Centre for Epidemiology and Health Promotion (Cneps) – Institute of Health. Also in sports, athletes who have used doping, such as abusing anabolic steroids, they run a strong risk of developing depressive phenomena. That’s why in addition to soccer,  cycling, athletics and endurance sports are the sports where the depressive illness is more prevalent. The risk, for many athletes is to lose the contact with the reality. The attention to the athletes’ problems is low. Often the young talents show symptoms of indolence against psychological pressure that undergo to become super-champions: consequently they train and perform poorly. Thus demonstrating to others that there is a problem. Moreover, they are often too stressed by their family, where parents from an early age have encouraged their sons to  get always the maximum. To be competitive at all costs.