Athletes experience unique stressors that have been indicated to compromise their mental wellness and sport performance, yet they underutilize mental health services. Indeed, very few mental health interventions for athletes have been developed to fit sport culture, and well-controlled mental health outcome research in athlete populations is warranted. In this randomized controlled trial, a sport specific optimization approach to concurrent mental health and sport performance (The Optimum Performance Program in Sports; TOPPS) was examined. Seventy-four collegiate athletes (NCAA = 42; club = 11; intramural = 21) formally assessed for mental health diagnostic severity were randomly assigned to TOPPS or campus counseling/psychological services as usual (SAU) after baseline. Dependent measures assessed general mental health, mood, mental health factors affecting sport performance in training, competition and life outside of sports, days using substances, sexual risk behaviors, happiness in relationships, relationships affecting sport performance, and contributions of relationship to sport performance. Intent to treat repeated measures analyses indicated that participants in TOPPS consistently demonstrated better outcomes than SAU up to 8-months post-randomization and for mental health/substance use measures, particularly when diagnostic criteria were most severe. Recommendations are provided in light of the results to assist sport-specific mental health intervention development and implementation within athlete populations.
Psychiatric disorders, particularly substance use disorders, are an impactful and highly prevalent public health concern in youth from low-income neighborhoods (YLINs). Indeed, prevention and intervention programs for mental health disorders that have evidenced improvements in youth from general population are not well integrated into community resources of YLINs and appear to be a poor fit for YLINs. Along this vein, experts have indicated there is an immediate need to empirically refine existing evidence-based mental health programs to be less stigmatizing, more culturally sensitive, relevant, and engaging for YLINs. To assist in addressing this need, we describe an innovative sport-specific optimization approach to mental wellness that is tailored for use in YLINs. Derived from Family Behavior Therapy, The Optimum Performance Programme in Sports (TOPPS) was developed to be implemented within the umbrella of well-established sport organizations that are accepted within low-income communities (e.g. YMCA, Boys & Girls Club) or primary and secondary school systems. TOPPS is designed to address both prevention and intervention of mental health disorders through a focus on overall wellness and sport performance, and incorporation of engagement methods, significant others, sport/physical education, and evidence-supported methods of addressing culture. Given the absence of sport-specific mental health intervention for youth, TOPPS may be appropriate in this population. However, formal evaluation of TOPPS in youth samples is warranted.
There is limited information available to assist evidence-supported detection and referral of mental, social, and physical health issues affecting performance in circus artists. Therefore, this study examines mental, social, and physical health of artists in 2 circus settings (circus school, professional circus). The specific aims were to assess overall health and develop data-informed wellness screening methods in these populations, assisting referral guidelines for performance and health optimization. A comprehensive psychometrically validated battery of standardized measures was administered to 109 professional circus artists employed by Cirque du Soleil and students enrolled in the National Circus School. Compared with students, professionals reported significantly fewer problems with social isolation, fatigue, and factors that interfere with circus performance specific to shows/evaluations; they also reported greater satisfaction in their social roles and overall circus performance. Professionals also reported significantly less severe depression, and greater receipt of emotional and informational support compared with normative samples. Scores of students were similar to those of normative samples, although their scores measuring anxiety and fatigue were higher. There were no significant differences between professionals and students in perceived interferences during training, or circus-related problems with coaches and classmates/coworkers. For all participants, scores on measures of mental, social, and physical health were negatively associated with factors reported to interfere with circus performance. Participant responses to the measures were used to develop guidelines to facilitate detection of factors interfering with performance and to assist informed referrals.
Motivation is an integral part of human life and one of the most fundamental aspects of behavior change. Although interventions have been developed to motivate goal-oriented behavior, controlled outcome studies have yet to compare the relative merits of reviewing perceived positive consequences for goal achievement (positive consequences review [PCR]) with reviewing negative consequences of not accomplishing goals (negative consequences review [NCR]). In this study, 93 undergraduate students who were interested in improving motivation for lifestyle behaviors completed baseline measures (i.e., motivation to perform healthy lifestyle behaviors, University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale, goal achievement, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, likelihood of seeking professional assistance). Participants were subsequently randomly assigned to PCR, NCR, or relaxation control conditions. They were reassessed immediately after the respective experimental conditions were implemented and 7 days after baseline. Repeated measures analyses indicated that both PCR and NCR were more efficacious than relaxation in enhancing motivation, goal achievement, and positive affect, with PCR yielding larger effect sizes (ps < .05). No significant interaction effects were found in reducing negative affect and increasing desire to seek professional assistance (ps > .05). Future directions are discussed in light of the results.
Collegiate athletes evidence similar severity of mental health symptoms as non-athlete peers, but lower mental health treatment engagement. Only one randomized clinical trial has occurred in collegiate athletes who have been assessed for mental health disorders. In this study collegiate athletes who received sport-specific psychological intervention that was supported by the athletes’ significant others showed decreased severity of psychiatric symptoms and interferences in sport performance up to 8-months post-randomization. The influence of collegiate athletes’ significant others on outcomes was not examined in this study and is the aim of the current study. Results indicated the number of significant other types involved in treatment was associated with decreased psychiatric symptoms but not interferences with sport performance. Session attendance of collegiate athletes was associated with reduced interferences in sport performance but not decreased psychiatric symptomology; suggesting collegiate athletes are more likely to improve mental health when a variety of significant others are engaged in psychological intervention.
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