Inflexibility, Reactions to Retirement, and Mental Health in Elite Competitors: A Mediation Analysis

UniversityResearch suggests retirement from competition to be a significant life transition, categorized by both positive and negative experiences. Ample studies have shown that psychological inflexibility (i.e., a person’s difficulty in coping with and accepting distress) is a negative experience that can lead to adverse mental health outcomes within competitive contexts. However, no studies to date have examined the link between psychological inflexibility, reactions to retirement, and mental health outcomes in retired competitors. The present study examines how inflexibility and reactions to retirement are associated with depression and anxiety symptoms in a sample of former competitors within Drum Corps International, an elite marching and performance organization with mandatory retirement at age 21. Results from 223 retired competitors (age range 20-29, Mage = 24.27) were analyzed. Consistent with hypotheses, psychological inflexibility predicted depression and anxiety symptoms, and reactions to retirement partially mediated the relation between inflexibility and symptoms of depression. Specifically, positive reappraisal and loss of control reactions to retirement partially mediated psychological inflexibility’s association with depressive symptoms (with loss of control as the stronger mediator). Clinical implications for competitors approaching retirement are discussed, with emphasis on the utility of acceptance and commitment-based interventions.