Suicidal ideation among Chinese national team elite athletes

Abstract

The present study reveals the subjective experiences of suicidal ideation among Chinese national team athletes. The two objectives were to situate the experiences of athletes’ suicidal ideation and to identify the common features of athletes’ suicidal ideation and their coping strategies in the Chinese sport system. Following a critical realist framework, 10 national team athletes were purposively recruited to share their experiences of suicidal ideation as they progressed in their national teams through in-depth semi-structured interviews. A reflexive thematic analysis followed by composite vignettes were undertaken to provide a rich description of suicidal ideation in relation to the athletes’ progressive careers. Three composite vignettes were generated: (a) suicidal ideation resulting from early overtraining, (b) difficulty in adjusting to a highly competitive environment post-transition, and (c) competition failures among established athletes. The manifestations, durations, reactions, and coping strategies of suicidal ideations varied as the athletes progressed in their careers. Age, athletic performance, social support, medal-orientation, and collectivism contributed to suicidal ideation.

Lay Summary

Athletes’ suicidal ideations varied along their career development, wherein psychosocial factors compounding with national culture shaped the experiences. The present study depicted three scenes of Chinese athletes’ suicidal ideations, suggesting more targeted interventions could be launched.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

1. Coaches and sport psychologists should be alert of the mental health status of athletes in their critical demanding career phases or contexts, such as overreaching, transitions, and failed competitions.

2. The support units and education system should be formed to facilitate help-seeking behaviors and to reduce stigma.

3. Understanding the importance of building interpersonal bonds with others and centralizing collectivist interests is a necessity among Chinese athletes.

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Data availability statement

The participants of this study did not give written consent for their data to be shared publicly, so due to the sensitive nature of the research supporting data is not available.