The Emotional Implications of a Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Diagnosis in a Retired Athlete: An Autoethnographic Approach

Ian Guyah Low, David Lavallee () and Rhiannon Lord
Additional contact information
Ian Guyah Low: Department of Health, Sport and Wellbeing, Abertay University, Dundee DD1 1HG, UK
David Lavallee: Department of Health, Sport and Wellbeing, Abertay University, Dundee DD1 1HG, UK
Rhiannon Lord: Department of Health, Sport and Wellbeing, Abertay University, Dundee DD1 1HG, UK

Social Sciences, 2024, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-55

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to advance knowledge and understanding of the emotional implications retired athletes experience when diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This study employed an autoethnographic method to explore the consequences of living with this potentially life-threatening heart condition from a first-person narrative, using the account-making model of coping and loss as framework. The results illuminate the lived experience of someone diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and subsequent forced transition out of high-performance sport. This study provides practitioners with insights into this topic so that relevant and tailored interventions can be implemented to help retiring athletes who are diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy cope with the career transition process. Notably, this paper also offers a full, complete autoethnography rather than extracts of autoethnographic writing typically provided in journal articles due to formatting restrictions. Thus, we showcase the valuable contribution this methodology has to offer scholars and practitioners.

Keywords: autoethnography; career transition; existential; sport; retirement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/11/616/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/11/616/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:13:y:2024:i:11:p:616-:d:1520194

Access Statistics for this article

Social Sciences is currently edited by Ms. Yvonne Chu

More articles in Social Sciences from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().