Abstract
What connects these individuals Frank
Bruno, Dame Kelly Holmes, Marcus
Trescothick and Clarke Carlisle? If you said
are all are winners you would be correct, if
you said all are elite sports individuals you
would also be correct, but there is
something else that connects these elitelevel
athletes. They have all reported
having mental health concerns either
whilst performing or shortly after retiring.
Boxer Frank Bruno has bipolar disorder
and depression and has been admitted to
psychiatric wards 3 times in the last 12
years. Dame Kelly Holmes was battling
depression in the lead up to the 2004
Olympics. Marcus Trescothick was playing
cricket for England when depression forced
his retirement. In 2014, Clarke Carlisle
attempted to take his own life by jumping
in front of an oncoming lorry and was later
admitted to a psychiatric unit for
depression. These elite sportspeople are
not alone, the list could have included Gary
Speed, footballer and Manager who took
his own life in November 2012 after
battling with depression or Terry Newton,
Rugby league player, who also sadly took
his own life in 2010, after being sacked
and being found to have used
performance-enhancing drugs.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 42-47 |
Journal | The Psychologist |
Volume | 30 |
Early online date | 31 Aug 2017 |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 31 Aug 2017 |