2020
Charting the rise of the 1990's Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, one of the most notable dynasties in sports history.
491 min
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Athletes represent the peak of human potential, but they are still people. Mental illness affects 35% of elite athletes, manifesting as stress, eating disorders, burnout, or depression and anxiety.
The issue of mental health in college students, specifically college student-athletes, is stigmatized and neglected. According to a 2011 study by the National College Athletic Association, 30% of about 200,000 student-athletes reported feeling depressed.
Martin Hagger is Professor of Psychology at Curtin University. His areas of expertise are social, health, sport and exercise psychology. He is involved in numerous research projects nationally and internationally with a focus on motivation and behavior change.
In making herself vulnerable, Naomi Osaka joined other noteworthy athletes in pushing a once-taboo subject into the open.
Demand from patients seeking help for their mental illnesses has led to underground use in a way that parallels black markets in the AIDS pandemic. This underground use has been most perilous for people of color, who face greater stigma and legal risks due to the War on Drugs.
Elite athletes play out their lives in the most public of arenas. Everything they do is analysed in real time and then picked apart in the pub and in the press afterwards. 'Why did they miss that penalty?', 'What made them fall at the first jump?', 'That press conference was a bit weird.
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“We need to do a better job of addressing mental as well as physical aspects of athletic injuries,” sports psychologist Matthew Sacco, PhD, says.
Struggles with anxiety and depression can affect anyone—even the greatest performers in sports
Dr. Jessica Dere explains how culture makes a difference when thinking about mental health and mental illness. Across mental health research, clinical care and teaching, there are profound rewards to be had by truly understanding individuals in context.
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Science tells us that the foundations of sound mental health are built early in life. Early experiences—including children’s relationships with parents, caregivers, relatives, teachers, and peers—interact with genes to shape the architecture of the developing brain.