Mental Health and Depression in The Long Game

Thematic Claim: Depression as the Unseen Opponent

The central emotional arc of The Long Game insists that clinical depression is neither a sign of weakness nor a problem love alone can solve. Ilya Rozanov’s recurring depressive episodes, rooted in his mother’s suicide and amplified by the secrecy of his relationship with Shane Hollander, function as a parallel opponent more formidable than any NHL playoff rival. The novel refuses to romanticize suffering or offer a tidy cure; instead, it presents professional therapy, medication, and patient support as the only sustainable path forward.

Tracing the Arc of Depression Across the Plot

Early Warnings and Shane’s Concern (Chapter Twelve)

Shane first voices worry in a quiet moment at Ilya’s cottage. Ilya deflects his concern with jokes and a curt dismissal, saying “I am okay” even as his hand trembles. This early exchange establishes the pattern: Ilya hides his pain behind bravado, and Shane, lacking language for mental health, can only offer vague support. The charity they founded in Ilya’s mother’s name is a public gesture, but Ilya has not yet applied that awareness to himself.

The Decision to Seek Help (Chapter Fourteen)

After a Halloween visit, Ilya breaks down alone, crumpled against his front door, weeping after Shane leaves. This moment—exhaustion so profound that standing feels impossible—forces him to acknowledge he needs professional help. His first session with Dr. Galina Molchalina, the only Russian-speaking therapist in Ottawa, is a turning point. There he speaks of his mother’s “sad smile” and the discovery of her body when he was twelve. The session leaves him feeling worse, not better, raising the question of whether therapy is worth the pain.

The Winter Low Point and Confronting Diagnosis (Chapter Twenty-Three)

By late December, Ilya tells Galina that therapy is making him feel worse. He confesses, “I think I might be depressed,” and she agrees. He fears he is like his mother, but Galina clarifies that depression manifests differently in different people. She names the sources of his suffering: dangerous sport, hidden sexuality, childhood trauma, and an inability to process grief. This chapter also shows Ilya ignoring Shane’s text, lying on his bed, and punishing his body with exercise—classic depressive withdrawal.

The Final Breaking Point and Commitment to Treatment (Chapter Thirty-Seven)

After the playoff series ends and Ottawa is eliminated, Ilya experiences a resurgence of despair. For the first time he tells Shane directly that he may have depression and that therapy and medication might help. Shane responds with unconditional support, marking a shift from Ilya’s previous isolation. This confession is not an instant fix; it is the beginning of sustained management.

Character and Symbol Connections

Ilya Rozanov’s depression is tied directly to his mother’s suicide and the suppression of that memory. The charity launched in her name is both a tribute and a shield—he can talk about mental health in the abstract without addressing his own. His father’s command to “forget her” forced Ilya into a lifelong habit of avoidance.

Shane Hollander represents the limits of love. He cannot cure Ilya, but he learns to listen. His earlier attempts to push Ilya to talk are clumsy; by the end, he accepts that professional help is essential.

Dr. Galina Molchalina provides the framework. Her office has no windows—a deliberate choice for privacy—and she emphasizes that healing is building a Ferrari, not driving one. She refuses to offer quick answers, insisting on slow, steady work.

Symbols:

• The long game — Ilya’s secret relationship requires years of patience, but the metaphor also applies to depression: healing is not a sprint but a marathon.
• The mirror — In earlier books, Ilya uses mirrors to rehearse confidence. In The Long Game, he struggles to face his own reflection when he is raw with tears.
• Wedding rings — The commitment to marriage is a public declaration of love, but it does not erase depression. Ilya and Shane plan to wed while Ilya is still in treatment, showing that love and illness can coexist.
• Anya the dog — Ilya’s dog offers comfort but again cannot replace clinical care.

Complexity and Contradiction

The novel resists a neat resolution. Ilya begins therapy, but his depression does not vanish. He still struggles after sexual encounters, still lies on his bed staring at the ceiling, still needs to talk about his mother. Rachel Reid’s content warning at the start of the book (“mentions and descriptions of suicide and depression”) signals that this is not a story where love conquers all. Instead, the story argues that depression is chronic and requires continuous management. The support of a partner, while vital, is only one part of a larger treatment plan that includes therapy, possibly medication, and honest self-examination.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Ilya’s relationship with his mother’s suicide shape his reluctance to seek help?

Ilya’s father told him that his mother’s death was an accident and instructed him to forget her. This taught Ilya to suppress grief and shame. He internalizes the fear that depression is a moral failing, and that acknowledging it would make him like her. Only after his own breakdown does he realize that treatment, not silence, is the path forward.

2. Why does Shane struggle to support Ilya in the early parts of the novel?

Shane lacks vocabulary for mental health and fears overstepping. In Chapter Twelve he asks Ilya if he is “okay” but accepts a brush-off because he does not want to push. He later admits that before the charity, he “hadn’t thought much about mental health stuff.” His growth involves learning to listen without solving, and to respect professional boundaries.

3. What role does Dr. Molchalina play in Ilya’s arc, and why is her being Russian significant?

Dr. Molchalina is the only Russian-speaking therapist in Ottawa. Speaking in his native language allows Ilya to access emotions he has buried since childhood. She reframes his suffering as a natural response to trauma and pressure, not a character flaw. Her directness—telling him to sit, listing his burdens—breaks through his defensiveness.

4. How does the novel use secrecy about sexuality to worsen Ilya’s depression?

Ilya must hide his relationship with Shane, which isolates him. Galina names this as one cause: “You are in love with a man you aren’t allowed to be in love with.” The constant vigilance of a secret life exacerbates his low mood and prevents him from seeking comfort publicly. Coming out eventually relieves some pressure, but it does not cure the underlying depression.

5. What does Ilya mean when he fears he is “like his mother,” and how does the novel challenge that fear?

Ilya worries that depression is hereditary and inevitably leads to suicide. Dr. Molchalina challenges this by explaining that depression manifests in many ways and is treatable. Ilya’s willingness to seek help, talk, and consider medication distinguishes him from his mother, who hid her illness. The novel models that having depression does not mean repeating a parent’s fate.