Mood Profiling for Sustainable Mental Health among Athletes

Abstract

Mood responses are a well-established mental health indicator. Gauging mental health status over time often involves periodic mood assessment using a standardized measure, a process referred to as mood profiling. Comparison of observed mood scores against relevant normative data is central to effective mood profiling. The primary purpose of our study was to improve existing norms for the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) using a large internet sample. The secondary purpose was to discuss how mood profiling can be used to promote sustainable mental health primarily among athletes but also with relevance to non-athletes. The BRUMS was completed via the In The Mood website by 15,692 participants. Significant differences between observed mean scores and existing normative data were evident for all six mood dimensions, prompting norm refinement. Specific group norms were generated to address sex differences in mood responses and differences by athlete/nonathlete status. The revised tables of normative data for the BRUMS should be used by researchers in future investigations of mood responses and by applied practitioners seeking to monitor mood responses as an indicator of mental health status. Applications of mood profiling with elite athletes are exemplified, along with recommendations for using mood profiling in the pursuit of sustainable mental health.

Bangla version of the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS): validity, measurement invariance and normative data in non-clinical sample

“…Although the conceptual basis of mood construct is similar, men and women differ in mood responses ( Quartiroli et al., 2017 ). Interpreting men's scores against women might cause an inappropriate conclusion ( Terry and Parsons-Smith, 2021 ). Therefore, the norms are determined separately for men and women which allows both within and across group comparison.…”

“…However, it should be cautioned that the BRUMS is not a comprehensive measure of mood, and it should not be used as a diagnostic tool ( Lane and Terry, 2000 ). Moreover, it is suggested to use appropriate norms of the BRUMS ( Terry and Parsons-Smith, 2021 ). As this study was limited only to the student sample, further studies are required to generate the norm for other populations (e.g., psychiatric patients, athletes, military) and other age groups.…”

“…Promoting mental health and preventing psychiatric conditions have become a primary concern in the current days as the prevalence of mental disorders is increasing rapidly over the world ( Terry and Parsons-Smith, 2021 ). The global prevalence of psychiatric disorders among the general population was 10.7% (792 million) in 2017 ( Ritchie and Roser, 2018 ).…”

“…The association between mood states and mental health has been studied widely where higher levels of negative moods are suggested as indicators of potential psychiatric disorders ( Henriksen et al., 2019 ; Terry and Parsons-Smith, 2021 ). However, such research was primarily conducted by using the Profile of Mood States (POMS; McNair et al., 1971 ), a 65-item self-reported questionnaire that assesses six mood dimensions, namely anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension, and vigor.…”

Psychological readiness to return to sports practice and risk of recurrence: Case studies

“…For this reason, Morgan developed his own Mental Health Model (Morgan, 1980), according to which successful athletes have more positive and less negative mental health characteristics than less successful athletes and the general population. The iceberg profile would essentially be the profile of a mentally healthy person (Andrade et al, 2016(Andrade et al, , 2019Terry and Parsons-Smith, 2021).…”