Part 2 : Mental Health Challenges in Athletes
1.Mental Health Challenges in Athletes
1.1 Depression·
Depression can significantly impact an athlete's performance. Unlike physical injuries it can often go unnoticed as an athlete will often try to mask the issue as they see it as being weak. A coach or agent might pick up on it as an athlete seeming “off.” Significant depression can lead to behaviors around self-harm and suicide, therefore it is important for Coaches, Parents and Agents to be mindful and pro-active in knowing what to look for and support their athletes.
Signs to Look For:
• Persistent sadness or loss of interest.
• Changes in sleep patterns or appetite.
• Fatigue and lack of energy.
• Signs of self harm.
1.2 Anxiety
There are 3 types of anxiety; performance anxiety, social anxiety and injury related anxiety when it comes to relating to athletes. Anxiety is a nervous fear based response associated with dealing with things related to competing, fear of failure, over thinking, teammate dynamics, attention, dealing with the possibility of an injury or fear around not recovering from an injury.
Signs to Look For:
• Excessive worry or fear.
• Restlessness or irritability.
• Panic attacks.
• Avoidant behavior.
1.3 Burnout
Athlete burnout is a cognitive-affective syndrome characterized by an athlete feeling emotionally and physically exhausted and severely fatigued mentally. An athlete has no motivation and becomes very negative about the sport they play.
Signs to Look For:
• Emotional exhaustion.
• Reduced performance.
• Detachment from activities.
• Cynicism and inactivity
1.4 Self-Sabotage
This is a common issue with athletes. It significantly hinders their progress and success. It occurs when an athlete behaves passive or active in undermining their results. It serves as a self fulfilling prophecy, as the feelings around failure and not being good enough transpire as issues of actual failure and low self-esteem. It is an issue within the subconscious mind which is caused by negative underlying emotions, stress and anxiety.
Signs to Look For:
• Undermining one’s own success.
• Negative Self-Talk
• Setting unrealistic expectations.
• Fear of success
• Fear of failure leading to self-destructive behaviors.
• Procrastination or avoidance.