Psychological Burnout in High-Level Athletes

AbstractIn brief: Psychological burnout causes many high-level athletes to quit their sport before they achieve their potential. Energetic perfectionists who are strongly influenced by others and lack assertive interpersonal skills are particularly susceptible to burnout. Demotivating factors include the changing nature of feedback (because the athlete is refining skills rather than learning new ones), the increasing need for personal autonomy, and increasing awareness of the physical, competitive, and social consequences of intense participation. The onset of symptoms is gradual but predictable and avoidable if high-risk personal characteristics and demotivating factors are identified.