A picture of the prevalence and management of the mental health of developing athletes in Quebec
Introduction and background The mental health of athletes has become a priority issue, both on the field and in the scientific literature. However, most studies have focused primarily on the mental health of Olympic and student athletes. This means that other groups of athletes, such as developing athletes, have been less studied. These young people,…
Non-elite sport for mental health literacy
Organized sports have been increasingly used as a platform to promote mental health. This study found that sport-based interventions in non-elite sports, had moderate to strong positive effects on mental health literacy, including reduced stigma and increased knowledge.
Quadrennium mental health support
High performance athletes confront many mental health challenges throughout their career. According to a recent consensus statement, these challenges vary across distinct phases of the Olympic and Paralympic journey, and can impact athletes in the lead up to, during, and after the Games. This underscores the need for heightened mental health awareness as well as…
Why is it difficult for high performance athletes to ask for help?
In the competitive world of sports, athletes continually push their limits in pursuit of excellence. High performance athletes who are training for events like the Olympic and Paralympic Games face unique stressors throughout the 4-year cycle, from the pressures of competition to the post-Games “blues” to uncertainty about future cycles (Henriksen et al., 2020). As…
Stigma and mental health
Negative social attitudes or stereotypes surrounding mental health, also known as stigma, poses a significant barrier to mental health help-seeking among athletes. Research shows that athletes are often reluctant to seek help for mental health because of fears about what others will think. Normalizing discussions around mental health in sport is key to address these…
Heart rate variability in athletes
In sports, there are various measures for athlete psychology, with heart rate variability (HRV) becoming an increasingly popular method of measurement. Different factors such as stress, overtraining, and performance have been found to impact HRV, thus influencing athlete psychology.
Team Unbreakable: The transformative power of running for youth mental health
Mental health challenges among Canadian youth are a growing concern. It is estimated that up to 20% of children and youth in Canada, which is more than 1.2 million young individuals, are affected by a mental health disorder. Addressing the mental health needs of these children and youth lays a crucial foundation for their lifelong…
Sport for stress reduction
Sport isn’t just about competition, it’s also about having fun. For adolescents, engaging in physical activity can reduce the effects of stress, especially when they genuinely enjoy what they’re doing. This highlights how motivation behind physical activity influences life satisfaction and reduces stress.
Attention on the body impacts athletes’ minds and movements: Implications for sport performance and participation
Introduction and Context More than 600,000 Canadian adolescents drop out of sport each year – and miss out on the many benefits that sport offers. Compared to boys, girls are up to six times more likely to drop out of sport, and body image factors are often identified as reasons for drop out. Also, adolescent…
Breathwork and stress reduction
Deliberate control of breathing, commonly referred to as breathwork, has recently garnered increased public interest due to its potential to improve mental health. A recent study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of breathwork found it may be effective in reducing stress and improving mental health.