Ways to Improve Mental Health and Athletic Performance

Chris Vi, PhD Candidate (Medicine), B.H&MedSci(Hons), B.BioMedSci

Deeya Mahadooa, MSc Mental Health Psychology, BA(Hons) Psychology 

 

Mental Health and Athletic Performance [PART 2/3]

As with anything, mental preparation is vital to ensure optimal performance.

Mental preparation and use of psychological strategies may lead to better performance due to increased confidence and having control over thoughts and emotions, which can potentially act as distractors (Kruk et al., 2017). A study interviewed strength and conditioning coaches and found two main commonalities in their use of psychological skills and strategies; a significant emphasis on self-confidence and goal setting (Radcliffe et al., 2015).

Employing coping strategies have been found to influence quality of life by increasing levels of optimism. This can lead to positive behavioural changes, better cognitive responses, problem-solving capacities, and more efficient evaluations of negative information and adaptive ways of coping (Conversano et al., 2010). Optimism has also shown to increase clinical improvements during periods of hospitalisation resulting in a quicker return to their daily routine, when compared to pessimistic counterparts (Conversano et al., 2010).

Mental health training should extend an athlete’s coaches, teammates, health service providers, peers, support network (Gulliver, 2017).

Greater performance in sports or physical activity has been associated with regular use of psychological strategies such as goal setting, imagery, relaxation, self-talk, to help athletes mentally prepare themselves to perform at an optimal level or to their potential (Kruk et al., 2017; Peluso et al., 2005). This has been supported with studies into Olympic athletes that found athletes who utilised psychological strategies were better at handling distractions and performed better than those who did not (Gould et al., 2010; Kruk et al., 2017).

Imagery is an active process to heighten one’s level of concentration (Peluso et al., 2005).

 

Study Review – Najafabadi et al., 2017

• Examined the effects of mental training on physical activity behaviour in adolescent females
  • 56 females were assigned to imagery program (intervention) and control group
  • Assessments were carried out at week 0 (baseline) and week 6 (post-intervention)
• Physical activity levels were measured by an accelerometer
• Physical self-concept (how they viewed themselves) was measured by physical self-description questionnaire (PSDQ)
  • The control group exhibited:
    • No change in physical activity
    • No change in the PSDQ
  • The imagery group showed:
    • Significant improvements in physical activity in-school and outside of school
    • PSDQ (appearance, self-esteem health) increased significantly

This suggests an increase in psychological well-being.

This study concluded that mental training was found to be effective in improving both physical activity and psychological well-being in young girls.

It can also suggest that mental training may have provided motivation, confidence, and adequate psychological strategies to deal with distractions, improve self-esteem, to increase rates of physical activity.

 

Study Review – Shannon et al., 2019

• Examined the effects of a mindfulness programme on athletes as a mental health intervention strategy
  • 238 student athletes studied
    • 108 in the intervention group received:
      • The State of Mind Ireland intervention: an instructional workshop on mental health and mindfulness, sessions were approx. 90 minutes and held on university campuses in classrooms.
      • A home-directed mindfulness training program which included daily meditation sessions
    • 130 in the control group: received no intervention, were wait-listed for intervention.
  • Measured 4 components of mindfulness, competence, stress, and well-being.
• Results of the intervention group found no direct effects on mindfulness, thus no indirect results on competence, stress, and well-being.
• The intervention produced direct positive changes in levels of competence, which resulted in indirect effects on mindfulness, stress, and well-being.

It was concluded mindfulness-based intervention programs which include competence promotion can be effective in reducing stress whilst increasing or promoting well-being in athletes.

Despite knowing the benefits of sports psychology, one of the main issues with integration of mental health training by coaches and athletes, is the lack of understanding around how mental skills affect performance (Gee, 2010).

We think it’s time for a change! At Rehab+ we aim to integrate mental health coaching into our sessions, or as stand-alone sessions, provide education and tools to individuals and other health care practitioners.

 

Subject to copyright Rehab Plus, 2020

 

References

Conversano, C., Rotondo, A., Lensi, E., Della Vista, O., Arpone, F., & Reda, M. A. (2010). Optimism and its impact on mental and physical well-being. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health: CP & EMH, 6, 25–29. https://doi.org/10.2174/1745017901006010025

Gee, C. J. (2010). How does sport psychology actually improve athletic performance? A framework to facilitate athletes’ and coaches’ understanding. Behavior Modification, 34(5), 386–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445510383525

Gould, D., Dieffenbach, K., & Moffett, A. (2010). Psychological characteristics and their development in Olympic champions. Journal of Applied Sports Psychology, 14(3), 172-204. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200290103482

Gulliver A. (2017). Commentary: Mental Health in Sport (MHS): Improving the early intervention knowledge and confidence of elite sport staff. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1209. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01209

Kruk, M., Blecharz, J., Boberska, M., Zarychta, K., & Luszczynska, A. (2017). Mental strategies predict performance and satisfaction with performance among soccer players. Journal of Human Kinetics, 59, 79–90. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2017-0149

Najafabadi, M. G., Memari, A. H., Kordi, R., Shayestehfar, M., & Eshghi, M. A. (2017). Mental training can improve physical activity behavior in adolescent girls. Journal of sport and health science, 6(3), 327–332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2015.09.011

Peluso, E. A., Ross, M. J., Gfeller, J. D., & Lavoie, D. J. (2005). A comparison of mental strategies during athletic skills performance. Journal of sports science & medicine, 4(4), 543–549. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3899670/

Radcliffe, J. N., Comfort, P., & Fawcett, T. (2015). Psychological strategies included by strength and conditioning coaches in applied strength and conditioning. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29(9), 2641–2654. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000919

Shannon, S., Hanna, D., Haughey, T., Leavey, G., McGeown, C., & Breslin, G. (2019). effects of a mental health intervention in athletes: Applying self-determination theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1875. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01875

von Berens, Å., Koochek, A., Nydahl, M., Fielding, R. A., Gustafsson, T., Kirn, D. R., Cederholm, T., & Södergren, M. (2018). “Feeling more self-confident, cheerful and safe”. Experiences from a health-promoting intervention in community dwelling older adults – A qualitative study. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 22(4), 541–548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-017-0981-5