Preparation for Sports Retirement: Study Protocol

University of Salamanca

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Psychosocial Factors; Psychoeducation; Retirement; Adaptation; Sport Retirement; Psychology

Treatments: Behavioral: Education Programme; Behavioral: Psychoeducational Programme

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07303504

USAL sports retirement

Details and patient eligibility

About

Background: This article presents the protocol for a randomised controlled trial designed to develop and evaluate a psychoeducational intervention aimed at preparing high-performance athletes for the challenges and opportunities presented by the transition to retirement from sport. The protocol was developed through a literature review and consultations with experts in sports psychology and career transition.

Methods: The study will be conducted at the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Salamanca (Spain). High-performance athletes aged 30 or older who are close to retirement or who have retired in the last five years will be recruited. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups: the intervention group, which will undergo a psychoeducational programme consisting of 12 sessions over 3 months; and the control group, which will receive a minimum educational programme of one session. All participants will complete initial and final assessments, as well as a 3-month follow-up, collecting sociodemographic data and applying various psychological, social and health assessment instruments.

Discussion: This protocol describes a comprehensive psychoeducational intervention aimed at improving quality of life and attitudes towards retirement from sport, increasing life satisfaction, psychological flexibility, perceived social support, general health, self-efficacy and self-regulation, and reducing negative stereotypes associated with the end of a sporting career. The evidence generated will guide future interventions, policies, and educational programmes to promote a healthy, active, and satisfying transition to the post-sport stage.

Enrollment: 26 estimated patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Participants will be included if they are within the critical transition period, defined as:

Five years prior to sports retirement, when the first signs of preparation and emotional anticipation begin.

Five years after retirement, the stage in which identity, psychological, and professional adaptation processes are consolidated.

This interval reflects the progressive nature of adaptation to sports retirement.

Exclusion criteria

• Athletes presenting any of the following conditions will be excluded from the study:

Significant literacy difficulties or relevant deficits in linguistic comprehension that prevent adequate participation in the psychoeducational sessions or the completion of assessment instruments.

Severe unstabilized medical or psychological conditions that may interfere with the normal development of the program (e.g., untreated severe depressive episodes, limiting neurological disorders).

Failure to meet the inclusion criteria, specifically not being within the five-year period prior to or after sports retirement or failing to verify high-performance sports experience.

Refusal to sign the informed consent or lack of availability to regularly attend the program sessions.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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26 participants in 2 patient groups

Education Programme

Active Comparator group

Description:

Why: Participants will receive instructions and recommendations to facilitate a positive and healthy transition following retirement from elite sport. This minimally active intervention focuses on general guidelines for maintaining an active lifestyle and adapting to post-sport life, ensuring that the control group receives basic informational support without the structured psychoeducational sessions of the experimental group, which allows for an adequate comparison of effects. What (materials): Instructions and recommendations dossier for the program. What (procedures): Participants will be provided with a dossier containing instructions and recommendations to support the transition to sports retirement. Who will carry out the interventions: A qualified professional with experience in retirement processes will carry out the intervention. The team rotates among three professionals (psychologists specializing in retirement adjustment and a lawyer for legal aspects).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Education Programme

Psychoeducational Programme

Experimental group

Description:

Why: The program aims to facilitate a positive and healthy transition from elite sport to retirement. Its objectives include improving Quality of Life, Life Satisfaction, Psychological Flexibility, Perceived Social Support, Health, Self-Efficacy, and Self-Regulation, while simultaneously mitigating stereotypes associated with aging and the end of the sports career. What (materials): All sessions will require materials such as: projector, computer, screen, presentation of content, stationery, chairs, tables and self-recording of home tasks. What (procedures): The program combines structured education with psychoeducational activities to: Understand the retirement process and its expectations; analyze the psychosocial impact of retirement; promote physical and mental health; provide training in financial planning and benefits management; support adaptation to role changes and foster social participation; facilitate the definition and monitoring of personal goals.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Psychoeducational Programme