Athlete welfare and mental wellbeing Research 2022

1
World of Sports
Name
Course
Date of Submission

2
Athlete welfare and mental wellbeing
According to the World Health Organization, athletes who can realize their potentials, coping
with life stresses, working fruitfully and productively, and is also able to make remarkable
contributions in their communities are considered to be in a state of wellbeing. Mental wellbeing
cuts across six significant dimensions, which include an athlete's self-acceptance, positive
relationships with other people, their autonomy, having an environmental mastery, an athlete's
personal growth, and their purposes in life.
Consequently, research has proved that there are about six hundred and forty distinct threats
linked to the wellbeing of athletes. They may include their own sole athletic identity,
perfectionism, retirement from sport, toughness, media, role strain, among others. It is, however,
critical that some elite athletes consider these stressors as opportunities for their growth, mastery,
and development. The adversities they faced had a significant role in shaping them into the elites
they are. They say that the difficulties would help them in developing a competitive
psychological edge1
Subsequently, the lack of high quality has hugely limited the wellbeing and the mental health of
elite athletes. This set of the population is critically vulnerable to a variety of mental health
problems. Some of these problems include the misuse of a substance, which is related to both
sporting and non-sporting factors. With this in mind, there is a need for more significant
intervention and epidemiological studies that will be aimed at identifying and responding to the
player's mental health necessities.
1 Hong, Hee Jung. ". 2018. Top athletes struggle to adjust away from the limelight–more should
be done for them." The Conversation

3
On the other hand, ex-athletes are seen to battle with mental health problems and addictions
during and after their careers. The increasingly intense physical and mental demands put on these
athletes is unique compared to other professions. It increases the susceptibility to particular risk-
taking behaviors and mental health problems. Data obtained from studies prove that elite athletes
experience a broadly comparable risk linked to the prevalence of mental disorders. These mental
disorders will include depression and anxiety.
Body
Media and intense public scrutiny have been on the rise. This serves as a primary and unique
variety of stressors that elite athletes experience. There has been a symbolic connection between
sports, the media, and athletes. It has contributed to sports anxiety that brings along
consequences like the fear of failing. Also, considering that the negative comments from their
fans may affect their overall performance as athletes or a team. Harmful content can be spread
more quickly through social media2.
Mental health problems and addictions have been vital among the ex-athletes and athletes. The
physical and mental demands placed on such athletes are said to be unique. The means through
which athletes can cope with such stressors is a vital determinant of the impact they have on their
sporting success and mental health in general. Athletes face stressors that vary from raising
public scrutiny via social media, unavailability of support networks because of relocation,
potential injuries that may lead to end their careers prematurely, and the team dynamics in the
team sports.
2 Bentkowska, Magdalena. 2019. "Pro-health Behaviours in Time Budget of Ex-cyclists." Central
European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine 25, no. 1