Mental Health Interventions for Elite-Level Athletes in a Sport-Specific Context: A Systematic Review.

Athletes comprise a unique population for mental health (MH) interventions given their increased physical and mental demands paired with the closed culture of athletics. The purpose of this study was to determine the quality and effectiveness of MH interventions administered within a sport-specific...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:American Journal of Health Education Vol. 53; no. 5; pp. 297 - 312
Autores principales: Delfin, Danae, Gray, Haleigh, Wilkerson, Amanda H.
Formato: research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Sep/Oct2022
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Athletes comprise a unique population for mental health (MH) interventions given their increased physical and mental demands paired with the closed culture of athletics. The purpose of this study was to determine the quality and effectiveness of MH interventions administered within a sport-specific context for varying levels of elite athletes. Studies published from January 2010 to March 2022 were identified using four databases: APA PsychInfo, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SPORTDiscus. Inclusion was limited to intervention studies that targeted MH, well-being, or mindfulness; were administered in a sport-specific context; involved elite-level athletes; and assessed at least one MH-related outcome. Nine studies satisfied the inclusion criteria and recruited successful-elite (n = 3) and semi-elite (n = 6) athletes. Intervention activities included knowledge acquisition (n = 7), skills/mindfulness training (n = 6), and group discussion (n = 8). Statistically significant improvements in MH symptoms (n = 2), knowledge (n = 3), stigma (n = 3), and stress (n = 3) were reported. Intervention efficacy may be improved by aligning intended outcome(s), measurement tools, and modalities for a sport-specific context. Future research should consider larger sample sizes and examine individual versus team sport/between-sport differences. Interventions appear to improve MH outcomes for athletic populations; however, inconsistencies with measurement tools and lack of utilization of theoretical frameworks exist.