Sport RetirementNCT07303504
Preparation for Sports Retirement: Study Protocol
A study testing Psychoeducational Programme and Education Programme in people with Sport Retirement and Psychoeducation, run by University of Salamanca at 1 site in Spain.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Sport Retirement, Psychoeducation, Retirement
- What is being tested?
- Psychoeducational Programme and Education Programme
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 26 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSpain
- Study dates
- 1 Feb 2026to 1 May 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 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.
Who cannot join
- 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 locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Preparation for Sports Retirement: Protocol for a Psychoeducational Program in a Randomized Controlled Trial
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.
- Conditions
- Sport Retirement, Psychoeducation, Retirement, Adaptation, Psychosocial Factors, Psychology
- Being tested
- Psychoeducational Programme, Education Programme
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Psychoeducational ProgrammeBehavioural
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.
Education ProgrammeBehavioural
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.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Education Programme | Active comparator | 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). Receives: Behavioral: Education Programme |
| Psychoeducational Programme | Experimental | 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. Receives: Behavioral: Psychoeducational Programme |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
World Health Organization Quality of Life Measure - Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF)
Quality of life. The range of scores is from 26 to 100 points. The higher the score, the better the quality of life.
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Secondary outcomes (11)
Retirement Attitudes Scale (EAJ)
Attitudes towards retirement. The range of scores is from 20 to 140 points. The final scores indicate more negative attitudes the higher the value obtained
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)
Satisfaction with life. The range of scores is from 5 to 25 points. A higher score indicates that the person is generally satisfied with his/her life.
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Questionnaire of Stereotypes towards Old Age (CENVE)
Stereotypes about ageing. The range of score is from 5 to 20 points. High scores indicate a high degree of belief in negative stereotypes of ageing.
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
The acceptance and action questionnaire-II (AAQ-II)
Psychological inflexibility. The range of score is from 7 to 49 points. High scores indicate more psychological inflexibility.
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
MOS Questionnaire of Perceived Social Support (MOS)
Perceived social support. The overall scores range from 20 to 100 points. The higher the score, the more social support the individual perceives.
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)
Perceived general health. The overall scores range from 0 to 36 points. Higher scores correspond to a higher level of perceived health.
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Generalised Self-Efficacy Scale (EAG)
Self-efficacy. Scores range from 10 to 40 points. Higher scores indicate higher levels of self-efficacy.
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Self-Regulation Scale (EAR)
Self-regulation. Scores range from 7 to 35 points. Higher scores on the scale indicate a greater ability to control attention in the pursuit of goals, while lower scores may suggest difficulties in maintaining focus and attention to goals.
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Athlete Retirement Questionnaire (ARQ)
This measure will allow assessing the degree of planning, retirement expectations, and knowledge of available resources-all predictive factors of a more satisfactory emotional and functional adjustment (Alfermann et al., 2004). This test consists of 35 items divided into three variables: reasons for retirement (11 items), difficulties encountered during retirement (11 items), and coping strategies (13 items). The questionnaire was translated into Spanish and adapted for active athletes. It shows a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87 for the ARQ retired athletes version and 0.84 for the ARQ active athletes version. The questionnaire consists of 37 and 31 items in each of its versions respectively, with closed-ended responses.
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)
It consists of 10 items each. Participants must indicate how much they have felt each affect on a five-point Likert scale (from 1 = not at all or very slightly to 5 = extremely) during the specified time period. The total for each scale is the summation of the scores given on the 10 items that comprise it, ranging from 10 to 50 points, where a higher score indicates a greater presence of the specific affect. The Spanish version reports high internal consistency, with a Cronbach's α of 0.87 for positive affect and 0.88 for negative affect (Vázquez et al., 2015).
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
It was designed to detect anxiety and depression disorders in non-psychiatric hospital settings in patients whose symptoms were not contaminated by the symptomatology of a physical illness. It consists of 14 items grouped into two subscales with 7 items each, using a Likert-type response scale ranging from 0 to 3 points. The depression subscale is composed of items focused on anhedonia. The anxiety subscale is composed of items focused on psychic manifestations. The temporal reference for the test is the previous week. For scoring, separate scores are obtained for each of the subscales, using the following cut-off points: 0-7: normal; 8-10: probable case of anxiety or depression; 11-21: case of anxiety or depression. It possesses a Cronbach's α of 0.90 for the full scale, 0.84 for the depression subscale, and 0.85 for the anxiety subscale.
Measured: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Dec 2025
- Study start1 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Feb 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion1 May 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Sport RetirementStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 26 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Salamanca
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Sara Jiménez García-Tizón, University of Salamanca
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07303504
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- USAL sports retirement
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 10 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 31 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: They will be made available to researchers in the document repository "GREDOS" of the University of Salamanca, Spain.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 31 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Preparation for Sports Retirement: Protocol for a Psychoeducational Program in a Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07303504
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- USAL sports retirement
- Conditions
- Sport Retirement, Psychoeducation, Retirement, Adaptation, Psychosocial Factors, Psychology
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 26 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of SalamancaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Feb 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 May 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 26 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Education Programme | Active comparator | Behavioral: Education ProgrammeWhy: 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). |
| Psychoeducational Programme | Experimental | Behavioral: Psychoeducational ProgrammeWhy: 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. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- 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.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 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.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Psychoeducational ProgrammeThe 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. | Behavioural | Psychoeducational Programme |
| Education ProgrammeParticipants 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. | Behavioural | Education Programme |
Primary outcome
World Health Organization Quality of Life Measure - Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Quality of life. The range of scores is from 26 to 100 points. The higher the score, the better the quality of life.
11 secondary outcomes
Retirement Attitudes Scale (EAJ)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Questionnaire of Stereotypes towards Old Age (CENVE)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
The acceptance and action questionnaire-II (AAQ-II)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
MOS Questionnaire of Perceived Social Support (MOS)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Generalised Self-Efficacy Scale (EAG)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Self-Regulation Scale (EAR)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Athlete Retirement Questionnaire (ARQ)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
Time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 31 Dec 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. They will be made available to researchers in the document repository "GREDOS" of the University of Salamanca, Spain.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Psychoeducational Programme and Education Programme in people with Sport Retirement and Psychoeducation, run by University of Salamanca at 1 site in Spain.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 31 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
World Health Organization Quality of Life Measure - Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) (time frame: Baseline; up to 24 weeks; 3 months follow up). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 31 Dec 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 26 Oct 2026.