Background: Despite evidence identifying adjustment difficulties among retiring athletes, research investigating factors that contribute to post-retirement complications is limited. Athletic identity may be an important determinant of adverse adaptation to sport retirement. Aims: The purpose of this study was to address the influence of athletic identity on post-retirement depression and anxiety symptoms among varsity athletes. Method: An anonymous, online survey regarding athletic identity and psychiatric symptoms was completed by 72 self-identified varsity athletes during their final season of competition and 3 months after retiring from sport. Results: After controlling for the effects of pre-retirement anxiety symptoms, endorsement of an athletic identity significantly predicted anxiety symptoms in the post-retirement period. A similar, but non-significant, pattern was observed for depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that athletes’ degree of athletic identity may be a risk factor for the emergence of psychiatric distress in the months following their retirement from sport. Identity-focused screening or intervention during athletes’ sport careers could potentially mitigate some of the psychological difficulties associated with sport retirement.

Burnout is a serious problem for health care providers that has implications for clinical practice and personal health. While burnout is known to affect residents, no studies have examined the prevalence or impact of burnout among Canadian psychiatry residents. Residents in all Canadian psychiatry training programs were surveyed between May 1, 2014, and July 1, 2014. The survey included a well-validated, single-item measure to assess symptoms of burnout, several demographic questions, and Likert-scale items to assess residents’ appraisals of empathic functioning and strategies for coping with stress from patient encounters. Responses were obtained from 400 residents, for a response rate of 48%. Twenty-one percent (N = 84) of residents reported symptoms of burnout. Burnout was reported more frequently by residents in postgraduate year 2 than by those in other years and was associated with engagement in personal psychotherapy during residency. No association was found between burnout and age, gender, or location of residency program. Residents who endorsed symptoms of burnout reported higher levels of compromised empathic functioning, were less likely to consult with supervisors about stressful clinical experiences, and were more likely to engage in unhealthy coping strategies. Symptoms of burnout affect one-fifth of Canadian psychiatry residents. The associations between burnout symptoms and problematic clinical and personal functioning suggest areas of concern for those involved in the training of Canadian psychiatry residents.

Background: Clinical practice and literature has supported the existence of a phenotypic sub-type of depression in men. While a number of self-report rating scales have been developed in order to empirically test the male depression construct, psychometric validation of these scales is limited. Aim: To confirm the psychometric properties of the multidimensional Male Depression Risk Scale (MDRS-22) and to develop clinical cut-off scores for the MDRS-22. Method: Data were obtained from an online sample of 1000 Canadian men (median age (M) = 49.63, standard deviation (SD) = 14.60). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to replicate the established six-factor model of the MDRS-22. Results: Psychometric values of the MDRS subscales were comparable to the widely used Patient Health Questionnaire-9. CFA model fit indices indicated adequate model fit for the six-factor MDRS-22 model. ROC curve analysis indicated the MDRS-22 was effective for identifying those with a recent (previous four-weeks) suicide attempt (area under curve (AUC) values = 0.837). The MDRS-22 cut-off identified proportionally more (84.62%) cases of recent suicide attempt relative to the PHQ-9 moderate range (53.85%). Conclusion: The MDRS-22 is the first male-sensitive depression scale to be psychometrically validated using CFA techniques in independent and cross-nation samples. Additional studies should identify differential item functioning and evaluate cross-cultural effects.