TALKING POINT
What can sport do to support people with mental health issues?
A shocking study has found athletes are especially vulnerable to developing eating disorders and depression. We ask leading experts why this happens and what can be done about it
S E
port is a proven contributor to high self-esteem, confidence, positive outlook and good health. Therefore it would be reasonable to assume
that athletes have higher than average protection from mental health issues – such as depression and dysfunctional eating. On the contrary, athletes are considered three times more likely than
the norm to develop an eating disorder and there's strong empirical evidence linking eating disorders and depression. A recent study, Eating psychopathology as a risk factor for depressive symptoms in a sample of British athletes, published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, asked whether depression leads to eating disorders in athletes or vice versa. Conducted by Dr Vaithehy Shanmugam
from the University of Central Lancashire with colleagues from Loughborough University, the report found that eating and diet disturbances were a precursor to depressive tendencies. Perhaps more worryingly though, it also found that 17 per cent of competitive athletes show symptoms of psychiatric disorders. What then, can and should sport do to better support those involved?
DR VAITHEHY SHANMUGAM Lecturer in sport psychology, UCLan
ating disorders appear to be a common problem within competitive sport. This isn't surprising given that
athletes face not only societal demands and pressure to attain and maintain the perfect body, but also pressure from their sport and teammates to achieve the optimum body for their event. Increased exposure to pressure from both, can result in dissatisfaction with body shape and weight, feelings of shame and guilt – especially if their body doesn't meet the set ideal – increased rumination and low self-image, which can sometimes trigger the onset of depression. Athletes also equate weight loss or low weight with peak
performance. Therefore, to enhance performance, they may engage in unhealthy methods to control their weight, such as excessive exercising, using laxatives or self-induced vomiting. Awareness and knowledge about eating disorders, healthy nutritional practices and positive coaching are all key strategies to prevent eating disorders in sports people. Therefore, it's imperative that significant others and professionals who work closely with athletes, such as coaches, nutritionists and physiologists, are appropriately informed and educated, so that they're in a position to identify, help and support athletes. Professional bodies and sport organisations have an ethical and legal obligation to ensure the physical and psychological health of their athletes. Therefore, they need to invest time, resources and money to comprehend the pressures faced by competitive athletes, so that the contributors and consequences of eating disorders within sport can be identified, contained and managed.
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AMANDA WOODROW Former athlete
F
ocus, commitment, determination and single-mindedness are all attributes which made me an
excellent distance runner in my youth. Conversely, they also made me a rather successful anorexic. After a throwaway comment from a coach about my ‘thick thighs’ my adolescent self became particularly focused on my weight, size and shape in relation to the other athletes I would race against. This ‘focus’ descended rapidly into obsession and I found myself meticulously controlling every calorie I consumed, and logging every minute of exercise. Perhaps I was a particularly sensitive or susceptible individual,
but this one single comment triggered a battle which spanned nearly 10 years. It was a decade of skipped meals and secret workouts; of deceiving others and kidding myself. In the beginning the weight loss meant faster times on track, but within a mere few months I experienced blackouts and palpitations, barely able to run at all. I had to walk away from the intense competitiveness of the sports environment, and it took many years, many failed attempts, and a lot of outside help to return to competition. It’s in my nature to work hard and try to be the best I can possibly be. Identifying these traits in athletes, and being aware of that fine line between dedication and obsession is vital for early intervention and the prevention of eating disorders. I kept my ill health hidden for so long, blaming the weight loss on my strict training programme. I found myself under dangerous illusions that the only way to remain at the top was to be the lightest, leanest and therefore the fastest. As a coach now, I believe communication, education and awareness goes a long way, especially with vulnerable athletes.
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 4 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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