Mental Health and Sports

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the effect of exercise on improving mental and physical health in people with mental illnesses. Research has shown that physical activity has been the most effective in the treatment of depressive disorders (Morgan et al, 2013). Exercise and sports have also been a method of rebuilding or maintaining a positive sense of self and identity in people with serious mental illnesses (Carless and Douglas, 2008). People with mental illnesses suffer from poor sleep quality, which then exacerbates symptoms of mental illnesses and increases the chances of physical comorbidities. Previous research has shed light on exercise being an effective non-pharmacological treatment for sleep issues. A study done by Lederman et al (2019) confirmed this statement by demonstrating significant improvements to sleep quality through exercise, thus highlighting the essential role exercise can have to improve health outcomes for people living with mental illnesses.       There is a plethora of research highlighting the positive effects exercise and sports have on young people. Participating in team sports has also been linked to better adult mental health in adolescence affected by adverse childhood experiences (Easterlin et al, 2019). Sports coaches also play a vital role to facilitate help-seeking behavior and also recognize any symptoms of poor mental health in young people, thus being a source of support for them and promoting engagement in sports if needed (Mazzer and Rickwood, 2014). A study done by Swann et al (2018) asked adolescents what their views on sports and mental health were. The answers received from the participants confirmed previous findings that engaging in sports, particularly playing in teams, as well as taking an interest in elite athletes’ mental health proved to ameliorate their mental health. Despite the positive effect sports have on young people, parents of children engaged in youth sports reported having lower psychological distress but increased life stress than parents of children not in sports. This increased life stress appears to be due to the protective factors of their child’s sport participation (Sutcliffe et al, 2021).      Though exercise treatment and participating in sports has been used to alleviate poor mental health symptoms, there are some harmful effects of exercise too. Muscle dysmorphia, the idea that one’s body is small and not muscular, is a relatively new mental illness seen in college students, gym users, and also bodybuilders (Strohle, 2019). Self-objectification, which leads to mental health risks such as eating disorders or depression, has also been observed in women from watching women’s lean and non-lean sports (Harrison and Fredrickson, 2003). Sports injuries have been proven to be detrimental to athletes’ mental health. Football, rugby, and ice hockey players who suffer from six or more concussions have been found to be five times more likely to develop poor mental health (Gouttebarge and Kerkhoffs, 2021). Retired American football players were found to be three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression if they had suffered three or more previous concussions than athletes with no history of concussions. Therefore, though sports and exercise have their positive effects on mental health, it is important to ensure the safety of the individual to protect them for any permanent physical damage or new mental illnesses from any intense activity.      Elite sports athletes have recently been speaking up on mental health and the sports industry, which has led to an increase in the research done around this topic. Female athletes have been reported to have lower mental-being than their male counterparts (Kuettel et al, 2021). Eating disorders and disordered eating have been proven to be the most prevalent in elite female athletes competing in endurance sports, such as gymnastics and running (Perry et al, 2021). Athletes suffer from poor mental health due to the overwhelming pressure of competing, as well as issues such as stigma, harassment, abuse, and discrimination. The effect of social media on athletes’ performances is also detrimental. Athletes have been voicing their mental health needs to be addressed as that optimizes their performances (Beauchamp et al, 2021). The use of social media in recent years has significantly increased the pressure experienced by elite athletes. Sports coaches and organizations should ensure their athletes’ mental health is addressed and mental health resources are available for all athletes. This would not only optimize athlete performance but audience enjoyment as well.  

References:

Beauchamp, P., Kamis, D., Stull, T., 2021. Achieving Mental Health and Peak Performance in Elite Atheletes. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 44 (3), pp. 347-358.

Carless, D. and Douglas, K., 2008. Narrative, identity and mental health: How men with serious mental illnesses re-story their lives through sport and exercise. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 9 (5), pp. 576-594.

Easterlin, M.C. et al., 2003. Association of Team Sports Participation with Long-Term Mental Health Outcomes Among Individuals Exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences. JAMA, Pediatr, 173 (7), pp. 681-688.

Gouttebarge, V. and Kerkhoffs, G.M.M.J., 2021. Sports career-related concussion and mental health symptoms in former elite athletes. Neurochirurgie, 67 (3), pp. 280-282.

Keuttel, A., Pedersen, A.K., and Larsen, C.H., 2021. To Flourish or Languish, that is the question: Exploring the mental health profiles of Danish elite athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 52, 101837.

Lederman, O. et al., 2019. Does exercise improve sleep quality in individuals with mental illness? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 109, pp. 96-106.

Mazzer, K.R. and Rickwood, D.J., 2014. Mental health in sports: coaches’ views of their role and efficacy in supporting young people’s mental health. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education, 53 (2), pp. 102-114.

Morgan, A.J., Parker, A.G., Alvarez-Jimenez, M., and Jorm, A.F., 2013. Exercise and Mental Health: An Exercise and Sports Science Australia Commissioned Review. JEP online, 16 (4), pp. 64-73.

Perry, C., Champ, F.M., Macbeth, J., and Spandler, H., 2021. Mental health and elite female athletes: A scoping review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 56, pp. 101961.

Strohle, A., 2019. Sports psychiatry: mental health and mental disorders in athletes and exercise treatment of mental disorders. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 269, pp. 485–498.

Sutcliffe, J.T., Kelly, P.J., and Vella, S.A., 2021. Youth sport participation and parental mental health. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 52, 101832.

Swann, C. et al., 2018. Youth sport as a context for supporting mental health: Adolescent male perspectives. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 35, pp. 55-64.