Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Athletic Suicide

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Mental Health in the Athlete

Abstract

Suicide is a growing concern within athletic communities. There is an emerging body of evidence considering suicide and its risk factors and preventative mechanisms in athletic populations, but more research is necessary to clarify association and causation. This chapter reviews the current evidence regarding the risk of suicide in competitive athletes. We discuss the unique risk factor environment and support structures for athletes at all levels of competition, while considering the factors that might put certain groups at greater risk. We will conclude by considering steps for early identification, prevention, and emergency response for athletes expressing suicidal behavior.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. World Health Organization. 2018. http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  2. Associated Press via CBS sports. 2012. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/junior-seau-found-dead-in-apparent-suicide/. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  3. Miller L. Losing the will to die just before choosing death. The last days of “Miracle Boy.” NY Mag. 2016. http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/04/bmx-dave-mirra-last-days.html?gtm=top&gtm=bottom. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  4. Bishop G. A college QB’s suicide. A family’s search for answers. Sports Illustrated online. 2018. https://www.si.com/college-football/2018/06/26/tyler-hilinski-suicide-washington-state-qb-cte. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  5. Fagan K. Honoring the life of Penn student-athlete Madison Holleran and continuing to ‘Talk for Maddy’. ESPN. 2017. http://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/article/19859160/honoring-life-penn-student-athlete-madison-holleran-continuing-talk-maddy. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  6. Hürriyet Daily News. Italian athletes commits suicide in Turkey. 2012. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/italian-athlete-commits-suicide-in-turkey%2D%2D21934. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  7. Associated Press via ESPN. 2012. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/8774575/ryan-freel-dies-apparent-suicide. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  8. NHL.com. Wade Belak found dead in Toronto. 2011. https://www.nhl.com/news/wade-belak-found-dead-in-toronto/c-587564. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  9. National Federation of State High School Associations. 2018. https://www.nfhs.org/articles/high-school-sports-participation-increases-for-29th-consecutive-year/. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  10. Bogage J. High school football participation continuesto drop as concerns over cost, injuries pers. The Washington Post. 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/08/28/high-school-football-participation-continues-to-drop-as-concerns-over-cost-injuries-persist/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.06225f9318d6. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  11. Rao AL, Asif IM, Drezner JA, et al. Suicide in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Athletes: a 9-year analysis of the NCAA Resoutions database. Sports Health. 2015;7(5):452–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Sabo D, Miller KE, Melnick M, et al. High school athletic participation and adolescent suicide: a nationwide U.S> Study. Int Rev Sociol Sport. 2005;40:5–23.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Gouttebarge V, Frings-Dresen MHW, Sluiter JK. Mental and psychological health among current and former professional footballers. Occup Med. 2015;65:19–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Baron SL, Hein MJ, Lehman E, et al. Body mass index, playing position, race, and the cardiovascular mortality of retire professional football players. Am J Cardiol. 2012;109(6):889–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lehman EJ, Heln MH, Gersic CM. Suicide Mortality among retired National Football League Players who played 5 of more Seasons. AJSM. 2016;44(10):2486–91.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Moreland J, Coxe KA, Yang J. Collegiate athletes’ mental health services utilization: a systemic review of conceptualizations, operationalizations, faciliators, and barriers. J Sports Health Sci. 2018;7:58–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Neal TL, Diamond AB, Goldman S, et al. Inter-association recommendations for developing a plan to recognize and refer student-athletes with psychological concerns at the collegiate level: an executive summary of a consensus statement. J Athl Train. 2013;48:716–20.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Centers for Disease Control. Definitions: self-directed violence. 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/definitions.html. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  19. Jack SPD, Petrosky E, et al. Surveillance for violent deaths – National Violent Death Reporting System, 27 states, 2015. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2018;67(11):1–32.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Merikangas KR, He JP, Burstein M, et al. Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adolescents: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication V Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2010;49:980–9.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Centers for Disease Control. Preventing suicide. 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/features/preventingsuicide/index.html. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  22. Centers for Disease Control. Suicide – Facts at a glance. 2015. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/suicide-datasheet-a.pdf. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  23. Gender difference in males in attempt.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Gender difference in males in completed.

    Google Scholar 

  25. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Suicide statistics: https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  26. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Suicide statistics: https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/. Accessed 31 July 2018.

  27. 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Substance abuse and mental health services administration, Rockville, MD. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DetTabs-2016/NSDUH-DetTabs-2016.pdf. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  28. Centers for Disease Control. Trends in the prevalence of suicide-related behaviors. National YRBS: 1991–2017. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/trends/2017_suicide_trend_yrbs.pdf. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  29. Silverman MM, Meyer PM, et al. The big ten student suicide study: a 10-year study of suicides on Midwestern University campuses. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1997;27(3):285–303.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Curtin SC, Heron M, Minino AM, et al. Recent increases in injury mortality amoung children and adolescents aged 10–19 years in the United States: 1999–2016. National Vital Stat Rep. 2016;67(4):1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Centers for Disease Control. National vital statistic reports. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_04.pdf. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  32. Van Geel M, Vedder P, Tanilon. Relationship between peer victimization, cyberbullying, and suicide in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2014;168(5):435–42.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Bauman NJ. The stigma of mental health in athletes: are mnetal toughness and mental health seen as contradictory in elite sport? Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(30):135–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Rao AL. Athletic suicide – separating fact from finction and navigating the challenging road ahead. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2018;17(3):83–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Adler P, Adler PA. From idealism to pragmatic detatchment: the academic performance of college athletes. Sociol Educ. 1985;58(4):241–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Maloney MT, McCormick RE. An examination of the role that intercollegiate athletic participation plays in academic achievement: athletes’ feats in the classrooms. J Hum Resour. 1993;208(3):555–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Statista Online Statistics Portal. Average playing career length in the National Football League. https://www.statista.com/statistics/240102/average-player-career-length-in-the-national-football-league/. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  38. https://weaksideawareness.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/average-nba-career-length-for-players-details/. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  39. Witnauer WD, Rogers RG, Saint Onge JM. Major league baseball career length in the twentieth century. Popul Res Policy Rev. 2007;26(4):371–86.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Erpic SC, Wylleman P, Zupancic M. The effect of athletic and non-athletic factors on the sports career termination process. Psychol Sports Exerc. 2004;5(1):45–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. National Institute of Mental Health. Suicide statistics. Suicide. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

  42. Black SPD, Petrosky E, Lyns BH, et al. Surveillance for violent deaths – National violent death reporting system, 27 states, 2015. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2018;67(11):1–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Tsirigotis K, Gruszczynski W, Tsirigotis M. Gender differentiation in methods of suicide attemps. Med Sci Monit. 2011;17(8):PH 65–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Blader JC. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors increased amoung young adults. Why? JAACAP. 2018;57(1):18–9.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Nattiv A, Puffer JC, Green GA. Lifestyles and health risks of collegiate athltes: a multi-center study. Clin J Sports Med. 1997;7(4):262–72.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Kokotailo PK, Henry BC, et al. Substance abuse and other health risk behaviors in collegiate athletes. Clin J Sports Med. 1996;6(3):183–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Diamond AB, Callahan ST, et al. Qualitative review of hazing in collegiage and school sports: consequences from a lack of culture, knowledge, and responsiveness. Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(3):149–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Jeckell AS, Copenhaver EA, Diamond AB. The spectrum of hazing and peer sexual abuse in sports: a current perspective. Sports Health. 2018;10(6):558–64.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  49. Hoover NC, Pollard NJ. Initiation rites in American high schools: a national survey. Alfrey, NY: Alfred University; 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  50. Hoover NC. National survey: initiation rites and athletics for NCAA teams. Alfred NY: Alfred University; 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Montjoy M, Brackenridge C, et al. International Olympic Committee consensus statement: harassment and abuse (non-accidental violence) in sport. Br J Sports Med. 2016;50:1019–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Vertommen T, Schipper-van Veldhoven NHMJ, et al. Sexual harassment and abuse in sport. The NOC∗NSF helpline. Int Rev Spciol Sport. 2015;50(7):822–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Timpka T, Jason S, et al. Lifetime history of sexual and physical abuse among competitive athletics (track and field) athletes: cross sectional study of associations with sports and non sports injury. Br J Sports Med. 2019;53:1412–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Leeds MA, von Allmen P, Matheson VA. The economics of sports. New York: Routledge; 2018.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  55. Taylor J, Ogilvie BC. A conceptual model of adaptation to retirement among athletes. J Appl Sports Psych. 1994;6(1):1–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Putukian M. The psychological response to injury in student athltes: a narrative review with a focus on mental health. Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(3):145–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Ardern CL, Taylor NF, Fellner JA, Webster KE. A systemic review of the psychological factors associated with returning to sport following injury. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47(17):1120–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Manley G, Gardner AJ, et al. A systematic review of potential long-term effects of sports-related concussion. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51:969–77.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Iverson G. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy and the risk of suicide among former athletes. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48:162–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Webner D, Iverson GL. Suicide in professional American football players in the past 95 years. Brain Inj. 2016;30(14–14):1718–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Bracken NM. Substance abuse – National study of substance use trends amound NCAA college student-athletes. Indianapolis, IN: NCAA; 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  62. Buckman JF, Farris SG, Yusko DA. A national study of substance use behaviors among NCAA male athletes who used banned performance enhancing substances. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013;131:50–5.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  63. Lindqvist AS, Moberg T, et al. Increased mortality rate and suicide in Swedish former elite male athletes in power sports. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2014;24:1000–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Lindqvist AS, Moberg T, et al. A retrospective 30-year follow-up study of former Swedish-elite male athletes in power sports with a past anabolic androgenic steroid use: a focus on mental health. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47:96–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  65. Dijkstra HP, Pollock N, et al. Managing the health of the elite athlete: a new integrated performance health management and coaching model. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48:523–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. Schroeder PJ. Changing team culture: the perspectives of ten successful head coaches. J Sport Behav. 2010;33(1):63–88.

    Google Scholar 

  67. Borowsky IW, Ireland M, Resnick MD. Adolescent suicide attempts; risks and protectors. Pedatrics. 2001;107(3):485–93.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. Hirsch JK, Barton AL. Positive social support, negative social exchanges, and suicidal behavior in college students. J Am Coll Health. 2011;59(5):393–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Macalli M, Tournier M, Galera C, et al. Perceived parental support in childhood and adolescence and suicideal ideation in young adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the i-Share study. BMC Psychiatry. 2018;27(18):373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  70. Kvan S, Kleppe CL, Nordhus IH, et al. Exercise as a treatment for depression: a meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2016;202:67–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  71. Schuch FB, Vancampfort D, Richards J, et al. Exercise as a treatment for depression: a meta-analysis adjusting for publication bias. J Psychiatr Res. 2016;77:42–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. Oler MJ, Mainous AG, Martin CA, et al. Depression, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse among adolescents – are atheltes at less risk? Arch Fam Med. 1994;3:781–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  73. Pate RR, Trost SG, Levin S, et al. Sports participation and health-related behaviors among US youth. JAMA Peds. 2000;154(9):904–11.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  74. Taliaferro LA, Rienzo BA, Donovan KA. Relationships between youth sport participation and selected health risk behaviors from 1999 to 2007. J Sch Health. 2010;80(8):399–410.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. Dr B, Blanton CJ. Physical activity, sports participation, and suicidal behavior among college students. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002;34:1087–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  76. Maron BJ, Haas TS, Murphy CJ, et al. Incidence and causes of sudden death in U.S. college athletes. JACC. 2014;63(16):1636–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  77. Taioli E. All causes mortality in male professional soccer players. Eur J Public Health. 2007;17(6):600–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  78. Mez J, Daneshvar DH, Kiernan PT, et al. Clinicopathological evaluation of chronic traumatic enceaphalopathy in platers of American football. JAMA. 2017;318(4):360–70.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  79. Mann BJ, Grana WA, Indelicate PA, et al. A survey of sports medicine physicians regarding psychological issues in patient-athletes. Am J Sports Med. 2007;35:2140–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  80. Ahmedani BK, Simin GE, Steward C, et al. Health care contacts in the year before suicide death. J Gen Intern Med. 2014;29(6):87077.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  81. Nock MK, Ramirez F, Rankon O. Advancing our understanding of the who, when, and why of suicide risk. JAMA Psychiat. 2018;

    Google Scholar 

  82. University of Washington Forefront Suicide Prevention. All patients safe training for medical professionals. http://www.intheforefront.org/. Accessed 21 Dec 2018.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine and Section of Sports Medicine, Sports Medicine Fellowship, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Ashwin L. Rao

  2. UW Husky Athletics and Seattle Seahawks, Seattle, WA, USA

    Ashwin L. Rao

Authors
  1. Ashwin L. Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ashwin L. Rao .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine and Department of Orthopaedics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Eugene Hong

  2. Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Ashwin L. Rao

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Rao, A.L. (2020). Athletic Suicide. In: Hong, E., Rao, A. (eds) Mental Health in the Athlete. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44754-0_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44754-0_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-44753-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-44754-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation