Nearly three-quarters of Dutch elite athletes and forty percent of their coaches report sport-related distress. This is one of the findings from a study conducted by Amsterdam UMC together with NOC*NSF, the organization which represents the Dutch Olympic Committee and the Dutch Sport Federation, published today in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine . The most common mental health problem among athletes and coaches is report sport-related distress (73% and 41%, respectively).
Unfavorable alcohol consumption that can negatively affect sports performance is also common (52% and 53%). In athletes, there is also a link between their mental health problems on the one hand and life events and/or severe injuries on the other. These results are comparable to the mental health of non-athletes and are in line with similar studies among elite athletes worldwide.
These are high percentages, but these are self-reported complaints and not serious diagnosed mental illnesses. Nevertheless, sports physicians and other supervisors should pay more attention to the psychological well-being of elite athletes. In this way, we can identify mental problems in athletes at an early stage and thus provide the right support in a timely manner.
" Vincent Gouttebarge, extraordinary professor of sports medicine at Amsterdam UMC and University of Pretoria 156 athletes and 95 coaches completed anonymous questionnaires regarding their mental health. They were also asked about factors that could affect an athlet.