Life after doping: do the consequences of an anti-doping rule violation threaten athletes’ health? Design and development of an interview guide for the assessment of biopsychosocial changes following a doping ban

Abstract

BackgroundWhile multiple facets of doping have been subject to intense research, knowledge about the consequences of sanctions following a doping offence for athletes is limited. From a biopsychosocial perspective, an anti-doping rule violation might have a serious adverse effect on an athlete´s health. To encourage more research on this topic, we developed and tested an interview guide. MethodsFour elite Austrian athletes who had been suspended due to a doping offence first took part in an online brainstorming session on this topic. Based on the existing literature, five fundamental dimensions of life were distinguished: professional and financial situation, mental and psychological well-being, social environment, physical condition, and attitude towards and practice of sport. The participants were asked to report important changes in each dimension. Based on these data, an interview guide was developed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the same athletes and evaluated using thematic analysis. Results and discussionAll athletes reported significant changes in all five dimensions, particularly in psychological well-being. The interview guide captured these changes in a satisfactory manner. Through a process of communicative validation, the interview guide was shown to be appropriate for further research on this topic. OutlookUsing the interview guide, a larger international sample of athletes will be examined, especially in terms of differences in sport disciplines, achievement levels, doping circumstances, intentionality and socio-demographic factors; such data are essential to develop specific support programs for athletes banned from sport due to a doping offence.