Promoting mental health of junior-to-senior transition athletes – advice for sport psychology practitioners

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
State Theory ◽  
Competitive Sport ◽  
Career Transitions ◽  
Competitive Athletes ◽  
Level Transition ◽  
Counseling Approach

Mental health (MH) does not only mean the mere absence of psychiatric disorders but also the presence of well-being. Competitive athletes are exposed to risk factors for poor MH specific to the competitive sport context. One such risk factor are athletic career transitions, whereby the junior-to-senior-level transition (JST) is considered one of the most difficult of within career transitions. During this time, developmental changes must be mastered on a psychological, athletic, and educational level and conflicts that occur between the different areas of life, such as school, family, and sports can become more acute. JST is thus a particularly vulnerable period for the MH of competitive sport athletes. In this article, we describe a counseling approach that seems well suited to promote the MH of JST athletes within a sport psychology consulting setting. The approach is based on self-determination theory and ego-state theory. We illustrate the application of our counseling approach with an exemplary case. Finally, we provide recommendations for how sport psychology practitioners can promote MH in JST athletes.

scholarly journals P091 The impact of cognitive fitness and gender on sleep quantity and timing and mental health of competitive athletes

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A50-A51
Author(s):  
L Mascaro ◽  
S Drummond ◽  
J Leota ◽  
J Boardman ◽  
D Hoffman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sleep Time ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Sleep Quantity ◽  
Competitive Athletes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction Mental fitness is increasingly considered key to an athlete’s competitive arsenal. Its active ingredients include cognitive fitness factors, such as impulse control, and recovery factors, such as sleep, which may differ between male and female athletes. Our study investigated: 1) gender differences in cognitive fitness; and 2) the associations of gender and cognitive fitness with sleep and mental health in competitive athletes during the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods 84 athletes competing at levels from regional/state to international (42F, mean age=23.2) completed a questionnaire battery containing validated measures of: a) depression, anxiety, and stress; b) sleep (Total Sleep Time, Sleep Latency, mid-sleep time on training- and competition-free days); and c) self-control, intolerance of uncertainty, and impulsivity (representing cognitive fitness constructs). Results Female athletes reported significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress, a later mid-sleep time on free days, lower self-control, higher intolerance of uncertainty, and higher positive urgency impulsivity compared with male athletes. Self-control was negatively associated, and intolerance of uncertainty was positively associated, with depression, anxiety, and mid-sleep time on free days. Discussion Female athletes in our sample reported poorer mental health and cognitive fitness, and later sleeping times on free days. Greater cognitive fitness was associated with better mental health, independent of gender. Overall, these findings are consistent with prior work in community samples. Future work should examine the source(s) of these gender differences. If replicated, our findings would suggest a need to develop interventions aimed at improving athlete well-being, potentially with a particular focus on female athletes.

scholarly journals Emotion Regulation in Times of COVID-19: A Person-Centered Approach Based on Self-Determination Theory

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim Waterschoot ◽  
Sofie Morbée ◽  
Branko Vermote ◽  
Katrijn Brenning ◽  
Nele Flamant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Face

Although the COVID-19 crisis is a worldwide threat to individuals’ physical health and psychological well-being, not all people are equally susceptible to increased ill-being. One potentially important factor in individuals’ vulnerability (versus resilience) to ill- being in the face of stress is emotion regulation. On the basis of Self-Determination Theory, this study examined the role of three emotion regulation styles in individuals’ mental health during the COVID-19 crisis, that is, integration, suppression, and dysregulation. Participants were 6584 adults (77 % female, M age = 45.16 years) who filled out well-validated measures of emotion regulation, depression, anxiety, life satisfaction, and sleep quality. To examine naturally occurring combinations of emotion regulation strategies, hierarchical k-means clustering was performed, yielding 3 profiles: (a) low scores on all strategies (indicating rather low overall levels of worry; 27%), (b) high scores on integration only (41%), and (c) high scores on suppression and dysregulation (33%). Participants in the profiles scoring high on suppression and dysregulation displayed a less favorable pattern of outcomes (high ill-being, low life satisfaction, and poorer sleep quality) compared to the other two groups. Between- cluster differences remained significant even when taking into account the corona- related worries experienced by people. Overall, the findings underscore the important role of emotion regulation in individuals’ mental health during mentally challenging periods such as the COVID-19 crisis. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Motivation in Sport and Performance

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glyn C. Roberts ◽  
Christina G. L. Nerstad ◽  
P. Nicolas Lemyre
Keyword(s):  
Goal Setting ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Goal Theory ◽  
Agency Beliefs ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Motivation Strategies

Motivation is the largest single topic in psychology, with at least 32 theories that attempt to explain why people are or are not motivated to achieve. Within sport psychology research, there are a plethora of techniques of how to increase and sustain motivation (strategies to enhance agency beliefs, self-regulation, goal setting, and others). However, when explaining the conceptual undergirding of motivation in sport, the why of motivation, two theories predominate: Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Both theories predict the same outcomes, such as increased achievement striving, sustained behavior change, and perceptions of well-being, but they differ in why those outcomes occur. AGT assumes that individuals cognitively evaluate the competence demands and meaningfulness of the activity, and that those perceptions govern behavior. SDT assumes that individuals are driven by three basic needs, competence, autonomy, and relatedness, and the satisfaction of those needs govern behavior. The following discusses both theories and concludes that each has their strengths and weaknesses.

scholarly journals Let's Talk About Mental Health and Mental Disorders in Elite Sports: A Narrative Review of Theoretical Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Lundqvist ◽  
Gerhard Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Target Construct ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
Psychology Literature ◽  
Elite Sports

The objective of this article is to discuss: (a) the various theoretical perspectives on mental health and mental health disorders adopted in sport psychology, and (b) how the adoption of these various theoretical perspectives in studies might impact upon the interpretations and conclusions in research about the mental health of participants in elite sports. Well-being as a target construct, holistic models, the single continuum or stage models, and Keyes' dual-continuum model of mental health are described, together with a sports psychiatric view of mental health. The strengths and limitations of various mental health perspectives are discussed. We conclude that mental health is a complex construct and that the sport psychology literature, much like the clinical psychology literature, has struggled to reach a consensus regarding a definition or a feasible approach to investigating mental health. For the researcher, it becomes important to make explicit the underlying theoretical perspective adopted and the operationalization upon which conclusions about elite athletes' mental health are based so that an increased knowledge base with high scientific credibility can be established and consolidated over time.

scholarly journals Adolescent goals and aspirations in search of psychological well-being: from the perspective of self-determination theory

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Lee Davids ◽  
Nicolette Vanessa Roman ◽  
Lynn Joy Kerchhoff
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Health Behaviour ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Intrinsic Goals ◽  
Health And Well Being

According to self-determination theory, an individual’s goal content and the processes involved in goal setting often represent the status of the individual’s mental health and well-being. When examining the importance placed on goal setting, an individual’s goals and aspirations are often synonymous with mental health and well-being. Aspiring to achieve intrinsic life goals has been associated with greater psychological well-being in literature. This study therefore aimed to establish the relationships between goals and aspirations, mental health behaviour (interpersonal relations, stress management, and spiritual growth), and psychological well-being (measured by positive affect). A sample of 457 secondary school learners in the Overberg Educational District, Western Cape, South Africa, participated in the study. The results suggest a significant positive relationship between placing importance on intrinsic goals and aspirations, and psychological well-being (as indicated by positive affect). However, psychological well-being was not correlated with mental health behaviour. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis suggest that importance placed on intrinsic goals and aspirations predicts psychological well-being and accounts for 8% of the variance. The results highlight the role of intrinsic goals and aspirations in predicting the psychological well-being of adolescents. The findings are supported by the theoretical assumptions of self-determination theory.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document