ArticleBMC psychiatry2026
Athletes' psychological strain, negative emotions, and suicidal ideation: a mixed methods study.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Long Sleep, Low Activity, and Sarcopenia: Toward a 24-h Exercise Rehabilitation Framework.Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2026Article
- The 30-s Arm Curl Test and Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Older Adults: From a Risk Marker to an Exercise Rehabilitation Tool.Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2026Article
- Comment on "Adverse Childhood Experiences and Social Frailty Trajectory Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Network Analysis From a Population-Based Sample".Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2026Article
- Comment on "The Relationship Between Voluntary Rapid Blinking Rate and Future Development of Neurodegenerative Disease".Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2026Article
- Associations of Physical Activity and Psychological Resilience with Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Adolescents: A Combined Variable- and Person-Centered Approach.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Physical activity, regulatory emotional self-efficacy, and suicidal ideation in adolescents: a variable-centered and person-centered approach.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Longitudinal associations between physical activity and negative emotions among college students: the chain mediating roles of exercise self-efficacy and psychological resilience.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Physical activity and health-related quality of life among Chinese adolescents: a cross-sectional statistical path model involving sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Adverse childhood experiences and cyber aggression among college students: the mediating role of psychological resilience and the moderating role of physical exercise.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundSuicidal ideation is an emerging issue among athletes, posing significant risks to their mental health. The mechanisms linking psychological strain to suicidal ideation remain unclear. This study addresses this gap by examining the mediating role of negative emotions in this relationship. Additionally, it employs latent profile and network analyses to identify key symptoms of psychological strain and negative emotions, providing novel insights for targeted interventions.
methodsA total of 957 athletes from various sports in China were surveyed via the Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation Inventory (PANSI). Participants were recruited via convenience sampling from sports teams and clubs nationwide. Latent profile analysis was employed to classify the athletes into distinct groups on the basis of their psychological strain levels. This was followed by correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and network analysis to examine the relationships and mediating effects among the variables.
resultsThe results of the latent profile analysis indicated that athletes could be categorized into two groups: high- and low-psychological-strain groups. In the high-psychological-strain group, significant positive correlations were found between psychological strain, negative emotions, and suicidal ideation. Negative emotions partially mediated the relationship between psychological strain and suicidal ideation, accounting for 33% of the total effect. Network analysis revealed that "I worried about life after sport" was the core symptom of psychological strain, whereas "Life was meaningless" was the core symptom of negative emotions.
conclusionsThis study provides evidence for the crucial role of negative emotions in the relationship between athletes' psychological strain and suicidal ideation. Network analysis highlights the core symptoms of psychological strain and negative emotions. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of athletes' mental health issues and offer valuable insights for developing targeted psychological interventions to enhance athletes' psychological well-being and sports performance. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
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