Beyond Competition: Identifying Psychological Risk Factors for Suicide Among Student-Athletes

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Physical Education, Farhangian University, P.O. Box 14665-889, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran.

3 Department of Sport Science, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran.

Abstract

Purpose: The unique psychological pressures of athletic environments place student-athletes at risk for mental health problems, including suicidal ideation. This study aimed to identify the relationship pattern of psychological risk factors, including pathological personality traits, immature defense mechanisms, and emotion regulation difficulties, in predicting suicidal thoughts in this population.
Methods: This descriptive-correlational study utilized structural equation modeling. A sample of 300 student-athletes majoring in physical education from Islamic Azad University branches in Tehran in 2024 was selected via convenience and online sampling. Participants completed the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI), the Personality Inventory for DSM-5–Short Form (PID-5-SF), the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS).
Results: The findings revealed that the indirect paths of the personality traits Negative Affect (β=0.103, P=0.001), Detachment (β=0.102, P=0.001), and Psychoticism (β=0.076, P=0.008) to suicidal ideation through immature defense mechanisms were significant. Similarly, the indirect paths of these same traits through emotion regulation difficulties were also significantly associated with suicidal thoughts (β=0.167, P=0.001; β=0.111, P=0.001; β=0.066, P=0.016, respectively).
Conclusion: The findings confirm that the risk of suicide in student-athletes extends beyond mere competitive pressures. The combination of pathological personality traits—particularly in negative affect, detachment, and psychoticism—coupled with the use of immature defenses and an inability to regulate emotions, forms a powerful psychological risk pattern for the emergence of suicidal ideation in this group. These results underscore the necessity of developing screening programs and interventions that address these underlying psychological factors.
 

Keywords

References

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Sports Psychology
Volume 16, Issue 2
2024
Pages 306-324

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History

  • Receive Date: 08 October 2023
  • Revise Date: 17 January 2024
  • Accept Date: 12 February 2024

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