Following on from John Kirwin’s high profile depression campaign other elite sports people seem to be at risk from depression. Not perhaps surprising that people under extreme pressure do suffer from depression. The cumulative effect of the extreme pressure to succeed, that drives top sports people, mean that when they get to the top of their game they can sometimes crash and burn. Not all top sports people suffer from depression, but we hearing more about the ones that do. Is our interest in them some kind of delight in how the mighty have fallen or is it that it makes their humanity visible.

Clive James says about celebrity:

Celebrities often have fame comparable to that of royalty. As a result, there is a strong public curiosity about their private affairs. Celebrities may be resented for their accolades, and the public may have a love/hate relationship with celebrities. Due to the high visibility of celebrities’ private lives, their successes and shortcomings are often made very public. Celebrities are alternately portrayed as glowing examples of perfection, when they garner awards, or as decadent or immoral if they become associated with a scandal.

One positive sign is that more athletes willing to talk about their experience.