1. |
- Ekelund, Rebecka, et al.
(author)
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Interventions for improving mental health in athletes : a scoping review
- 2023
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In: International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. - Oxon : Routledge. - 1750-984X .- 1750-9858.
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aims of this scoping review were to map the current literature on interventions for improving mental health in athletes, identify knowledge gaps, and generate future research questions. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guided this review. A systematic literature search was conducted in SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, and SCOPUS and 44 intervention studies met the inclusion criteria. Results showed that 22 studies (50%) implemented cognitive behavioural principles, and the majority of these studies were influenced by various mindfulness programmes. Most studies (93%) included healthy athlete samples, and athletes aged 15–19 were the most examined age group (43%). Only three studies used clinical criteria in their sampling of participants and mediators were examined in two studies. The scarcity of studies examining mediators and subclinical or clinical samples revealed critical knowledge gaps in the literature. Furthermore, the critical appraisal showed that regardless of study design, most studies demonstrated low internal validity. We propose the use of high-quality single-case studies with athletes who experience subclinical or clinical mental health issues, and further investigation of mechanisms of change linking intervention components to outcomes of interest.
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2. |
- Gustafsson, Henrik, et al.
(author)
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Cognitive behavioural therapy in performance enhancement : using exposure and behavioral experiments with elite athletes
- 2020
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In: Applied sport, exercise, and performance psychology. - London : Routledge. - 9781138587854 ; , s. 113-128
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In sport psychology, the roots of mental skills training and performance enhancement strategies have been heavily influenced by the cognitive branch of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Some of the traditional methods in CBT, such as exposure and behavioural experiments, have not gained much attention despite strong research evidence of their effectiveness. This chapter will describe how exposure and behavioural experiments can be useful in working with performance enhancement in Olympic level athletes. Common procedures are outlined and lessons learned from the elite sport context are provided.
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3. |
- Gustafsson, Henrik, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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Conceptual Confusion and Potential Advances in Athlete Burnout Research
- 2016
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In: Perceptual and Motor Skills. - : SAGE Publications. - 0031-5125 .- 1558-688X. ; 123:3, s. 784-791
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- More than 30 years of research on athlete burnout has yielded important insights and questions regarding the onset, nature, and consequences of this detrimental syndrome. Not surprisingly, burnout is considered an important matter, both from a research and practical standpoint. We comment on the work of Ryu, Ali, Kim, Choi, and Radlo, who examined the impact of burnout on cognitive performance among athletes.
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5. |
- Jacobsson, Jenny, 1962-, et al.
(author)
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Youth athletes at Swedish sports high schools with an athletics specialism emphasise environmental support for injury risk management : a focus group study.
- 2023
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In: BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2055-7647. ; 9:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, we examined knowledge and understanding of sport-related injuries among youth athletics (track and field) athletes and assessed their needs in managing any health problems. Qualitative data were collected via 12 focus groups with youth athletes (16-19 years) studying at Swedish sports high schools with an athletics specialism. All focus group discussions were audiorecorded and transcribed before being analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Four researchers independently reviewed the transcripts, generated codes and developed themes. Three overarching themes related to the athletes' knowledge and understanding of sport-related injury were developed: (1) awareness of injuries, (2) perception of injuries, and (3) factors contributing to injuries. The youth athletes were typically uncertain about how to acknowledge a sport-related injury. They expressed that knowledge about injuries was obtained in part by reflecting on the lived experiences of their peers. It was also demonstrated that there appears to be a 'culture of acceptance' regarding injury occurrence. In contrast, causes of injuries were viewed as dependent on multiple factors (eg, lack of context-specific knowledge about training practices). Regarding athletes' needs in managing injuries, an additional three themes were developed: (1) creating functioning elite sports environments, (2) application of knowledge and (3) fostering athletes. An apparent lack of structure and organisation related to the school environment was identified as an important issue to review to create opportunities for sustainable athletic development. The study identified areas that can be improved in Swedish sports high schools with an athletic specialism and could be applied in other youth sports contexts. The results of this study guide school stakeholders, alongside the sport governing bodies who have the mandate to influence activities in youth sports contexts, whereby special attention should be directed towards improving the social environment for youth athletes.
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6. |
- Johansson, Susanne, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Sexual harassment and abuse in coach–athlete relationships in Sweden
- 2017
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In: European Journal for Sport and Society. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1613-8171 .- 2380-5919. ; 14:2, s. 117-137
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sexual harassment and abuse (SHA) can have a profound negative impact, but research on SHA in sport is scarce and studies of SHA in Swedish sport are absent. This study explores (a) self-reported prevalence of SHA perpetrated by coaches among male and female Swedish athletes, and (b) descriptive statistics for coach–athlete relationship factors and the association between these relationship factors and reported SHA. Current and former Swedish club sport athletes (n = 477) aged 25 participated in the survey. Athletes reported 5.5% prevalence of coach SHA, of which inappropriate, unpleasant, or offensive physical contact were most common. No significant differences of SHA frequency were displayed across gender, sport performance levels, or individual/team sports. A majority of athletes (55–95%) reported trust, closeness, substantial coach influence over sport performance, and instructional physical contact as main coach–athlete relationship factors. A minority (13–39%) reported dependency, substantial coach influence over personal-life, non-instructional physical contact, sexualized comments and jokes, and flirting. Prevalence of coach–athlete friendships, athlete attraction to coaches, and coaches’ instructional physical contact differed significantly between male and female athletes. Closeness and athlete attraction to coaches were negatively related, and coaches’ non-instructional physical contact and flirting were positively related to reported SHA. Multi-causality and ambiguity of coach–athlete relationship factors are discussed.
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7. |
- Johles, Lis, et al.
(author)
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Is a Brief Body Scan Helpful for Adolescent Athletes' Sleep Problems and Anxiety Symptoms?
- 2023
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In: Mindfulness. - : Springer. - 1868-8527 .- 1868-8535. ; 14:6, s. 1522-1530
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ObjectivesThe aim of the studywas to compare the effects of a brief body scan with relaxation as an active control group to better understand their respective contributions to the reduction of sleep problems and anxiety symptoms among adolescent athletes.MethodTwo hundred and six adolescent athletes were recruited during the school year 2016/2017 and randomized into four arms: 4 weeks body scan, 8 weeks body scan, 4 weeks relaxation, and 8 weeks relaxation. Sleep problems and anxiety were measured at baseline and 4, 8, and 16 weeks after baseline. Time trends in sleep problems and anxiety were estimated using linear repeated measures models and compared between the four groups.ResultsOverall, there were beneficial time changes for sleep problems and anxiety symptoms in all four intervention groups, but significantly so only for anxiety symptoms. Specifically, the reduction of anxiety symptoms varied between - 11% per month for 8 weeks body scan, - 12% per month for 8 weeks relaxation, - 13% per month for 4 weeks relaxation, and - 16% per month for 4 weeks body scan. However, the time trends did not differ by intervention type or duration.ConclusionsBoth types of interventions had beneficial effects on anxiety independent of length of intervention, suggesting that a brief body scan as well as a brief relaxation could be part of a daily recovery practice for adolescent athletes.PreregistrationThis study was not preregistered.
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8. |
- Kenttä, Göran, et al.
(author)
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From working life to sporting life
- 2013
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In: <em>the 13<sup>th</sup> European Congress of Psychology, Stockholm 9-12 July. </em>.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)
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9. |
- Klockare, Ellinor, et al.
(author)
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Sport Psychology Consultants’ Views on Working with Perfectionistic Elite Athletes
- 2022
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In: The Sport psychologist. - Champaign, IL, United States : Human Kinetics. - 0888-4781 .- 1543-2793. ; 36:3, s. 219-227
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this study was to explore the views and experiences of sport psychology consultants who have worked with perfectionistic elite athletes and, particularly, their views on the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four professional sport psychology consultants who identified themselves as having experience of working with athletes they consider to be perfectionistic. Two themes were generated: manifestations of perfectionism, and management of perfectionism. The consultants found perfectionistic athletes to have rigid attitudes and strong negative emotional experiences, to use safety behaviors and to regularly underperform. CBT techniques such as mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, and psychological skills training were most commonly used and were largely viewed as effective against a backdrop of sporting environment that could often encourage athletes to be perfectionistic. The findings highlight the complexity of perfectionism from a consultancy perspective and the challenges associated with working with perfectionistic athletes.
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10. |
- Kristiansen, Elsa, et al.
(author)
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Forberedelse til OL under en pandemi
- 2023
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In: Eventer i en beredskapskontekst. - Oslo : Universitetsforlaget. - 9788215054599 - 9788215054636 ; , s. 52-68
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020 were postponed by a year due to Covid-19. This postponement came as a surprise to both athletes and support staff. How did the pandemic affect the Olympic preparations and the mental health of the athletes? Twelve athletes, both Norwegian and Swedish medal candidates from nine sports, were interviewed. Norwegian and Swedish athletes had different training options, but they tried to adapt as best they could to current situations and what they were allowed to do. This resulted in different set of goals as they adapted to the conditions.
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