Mental health challenges faced by professional athletes
Background: Sport psychiatry is a dynamic and constantly developing discipline of medicine. Professional athletes may experience a variety of mental health problems that influence their everyday life and sport performance. Therefore, the potential risk factors for developing mental disease should b...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Quality in Sport |
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| Online Access: | https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/58260 |
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| _version_ | 1823856444210937856 |
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| author | Dawid Szczepanek Katarzyna Szczurek Adrianna Biecka Mikołaj Wyrzykowski |
| author_facet | Dawid Szczepanek Katarzyna Szczurek Adrianna Biecka Mikołaj Wyrzykowski |
| author_sort | Dawid Szczepanek |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Background: Sport psychiatry is a dynamic and constantly developing discipline of medicine. Professional athletes may experience a variety of mental health problems that influence their everyday life and sport performance. Therefore, the potential risk factors for developing mental disease should be known to coaches and physicians to provide adequate help for athletes.
Materials and methods: We reviewed publications obtained from PubMed and Google Scholar. Articles were selected on the basis of keywords such as “sport psychiatry”, “mental health in athletes”, and “depression in professional sport”. For the final analysis, the eligible articles were published from 2015--2024.
Results: The prevalence of mental disorders varied across the analyzed studies. The presence of symptoms depends on the type of sport performed by the individual, past history of psychiatric diseases or sex. Additionally, studies have used different types of evaluation tools, which may influence the results.
Conclusions: Mental health diseases are present in this group, in some cases more frequently than in the general population. Professional athletes should be watched carefully for the potential development of psychiatric symptoms, especially in the most vulnerable groups. There is also a need for further studies with validated athlete research tools for more reliable results.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a01855eca88043999d8db06def98395e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2450-3118 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Quality in Sport |
| spelling | doaj-art-a01855eca88043999d8db06def98395e2025-02-12T08:26:18ZengNicolaus Copernicus University in ToruńQuality in Sport2450-31182025-02-013810.12775/QS.2025.38.58260Mental health challenges faced by professional athletesDawid Szczepanek0https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8704-8002Katarzyna Szczurek1https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7104-4436Adrianna Biecka2https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2919-7145Mikołaj Wyrzykowski3https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6972-9640St. Barbara Specjalist Hospital no. 5 in Sosnowiec Outpatient Medical Care Facility in Oświęcim, Czecha Street 2, 32-600 Oświęcim, PolandRegional Outpatient Clinic Niewecka-Walcownia Niwecka Street 18, 41-200 Sosnowiec, PolandRegional Outpatient Clinic Niewecka-Walcownia Niwecka Street 18, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland Background: Sport psychiatry is a dynamic and constantly developing discipline of medicine. Professional athletes may experience a variety of mental health problems that influence their everyday life and sport performance. Therefore, the potential risk factors for developing mental disease should be known to coaches and physicians to provide adequate help for athletes. Materials and methods: We reviewed publications obtained from PubMed and Google Scholar. Articles were selected on the basis of keywords such as “sport psychiatry”, “mental health in athletes”, and “depression in professional sport”. For the final analysis, the eligible articles were published from 2015--2024. Results: The prevalence of mental disorders varied across the analyzed studies. The presence of symptoms depends on the type of sport performed by the individual, past history of psychiatric diseases or sex. Additionally, studies have used different types of evaluation tools, which may influence the results. Conclusions: Mental health diseases are present in this group, in some cases more frequently than in the general population. Professional athletes should be watched carefully for the potential development of psychiatric symptoms, especially in the most vulnerable groups. There is also a need for further studies with validated athlete research tools for more reliable results. https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/58260athletesprofessional sportmental health conditionssport psychiatry |
| spellingShingle | Dawid Szczepanek Katarzyna Szczurek Adrianna Biecka Mikołaj Wyrzykowski Mental health challenges faced by professional athletes Quality in Sport athletes professional sport mental health conditions sport psychiatry |
| title | Mental health challenges faced by professional athletes |
| title_full | Mental health challenges faced by professional athletes |
| title_fullStr | Mental health challenges faced by professional athletes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mental health challenges faced by professional athletes |
| title_short | Mental health challenges faced by professional athletes |
| title_sort | mental health challenges faced by professional athletes |
| topic | athletes professional sport mental health conditions sport psychiatry |
| url | https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/58260 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dawidszczepanek mentalhealthchallengesfacedbyprofessionalathletes AT katarzynaszczurek mentalhealthchallengesfacedbyprofessionalathletes AT adriannabiecka mentalhealthchallengesfacedbyprofessionalathletes AT mikołajwyrzykowski mentalhealthchallengesfacedbyprofessionalathletes |