Home > Burnout, depressive, and somatic symptoms in Gaelic Games athletes: the mediating role of resilience.

Huggard, Leigh and Chambers, Finán and Nearchou, Finiki (2026) Burnout, depressive, and somatic symptoms in Gaelic Games athletes: the mediating role of resilience. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, Early online, pp. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2026.10218.

External website: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/irish-jour...

Athletes often experience high rates of burnout, which has known links to depressive/somatic symptoms. However, little is known of the role that resilience plays in shaping these outcomes. The study aimed to examine the mediating role of resilience (personal and relational) in the relationship between burnout (emotional and physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, sport devaluation) and depressive/somatic symptoms in Gaelic Games athletes. Participants ( = 225), were invited to an online survey, where they responded to a series of self-report measures and demographic questions. Structural equation modelling was employed to examine the mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between burnout and depressive/somatic symptoms. Findings indicate that interventions promoting relational resilience, such as peer-support initiatives, may protect against the impact of emotional/physical exhaustion on depressive symptoms. However, strategies aimed at developing personal resilience, such as psychological skills training, may reduce the impact of a reduced sense of accomplishment on somatic symptoms.


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