Mental Health in Elite Coaches

Context: Coaches play an important role in promoting mental health in elite sports. However, they themselves are exposed to risks affecting their mental health, and their fears and worries are often overlooked. Moreover, it remains unclear how coaches’ mental health affects their athletes’ mental health. Objective: To create a compilation of the literature on (1) elite coaches’ mental health and (2) how coaches’ mental health influences elite athletes’ mental health. Building on this, recommendations for improving coaches’ psychological well-being should be elaborated upon and discussed. Data Sources: A literature search was conducted up to November 30, 2021, using the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and SportDiscus. Study Selection: Studies reporting elite coaches’ mental health symptoms and disorders and the influence of elite coaches’ mental health on elite athletes’ mental health were included. Study Design: Scoping review. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Data Extraction: Data regarding elite coaches’ mental health, as well as their influence on athletes’ mental health and performance, were included in a descriptive analysis. The PRISMA guidelines were used to guide this review. Results: Little research has been done on elite coaches’ mental health disorders, although studies confirm that they do experience, for example, symptoms of burnout, anxiety, and depression. The influence of coaches’ mental health on their athletes is underinvestigated, with research focused mainly on the influence of coaches’ stress. Conclusion: Knowledge about coaches’ mental health is still limited. Coaches’ poor mental health diminishes coaching performance and might impair athletes’ mental health. Coaches should receive more support, including sports psychiatric care and education on the importance of mental health. This could improve the mental health of both coaches and athletes, and positively affect athlete performance

Therapeutic alliance, social inclusion and infection control – towards pandemic-adapted mental healthcare services in Switzerland

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the Swiss mental healthcare system. Many services were downsized or closed, and admission to treatment and care institutions was restricted during lockdown. These measures were necessary according to the general containment and mitigation strategies of federal and cantonal authorities, but this situation has had negative consequences for care and treatment of service users. This paper asks for a rethink of key aspects of the Swiss mental healthcare system that have been demonstrated not to be adaptable to the pandemic. In particular, the paper suggests diversifying care and treatment settings, and strengthening outpatient and outreach services. Finally, some proposals to foster social inclusion during and after the pandemic are outlined

Sports Psychiatry – Journal of Sports and Exercise Psychiatry

The development of sports psychiatry started around the early nineties [1]. In 1994, the International Society of Sports Psychiatry (ISSP) was founded, the first sport psychiatric society [2]. Ira Glick, Todd Stull and Alan Currie (2022) describe in their article and in this first issue of Sports Psychiatry – Journal of Sports and Exercise Psychiatry the remarkable development of sports psychiatry in the United States and internationally in the last three decades, which we are very pleased and honored of [3]. Since the beginning of this century, sports psychiatry has also developed rapidly in the German speaking countries in Europe, and various sports psychiatric networks have formed, e.g., a department within the German Association for Psychiatry and Psyotherapy, Psychosomatics and Neurology, as well as national societies for sports psychiatry in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The Swiss Society for Sports Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (SSSPP) was founded in 2019 as the first national society for sports psychiatry [4]. The purpose of the SSSPP is to promote sports psychiatry and psychotherapy over the lifespan in Switzerland, in competitive sports and in the general population. The launch of Sports Psychiatry – Journal of Sports and Exercise Psychiatry will take place with the first International Conference on Sports Psychiatry (ICSP), which will be held online on January 14–15, 2022 [5]. This first issue of Sports Psychiatry contains the abstracts of the ICSP 202

Mental Health in Elite Coaches.

CONTEXT Coaches play an important role in promoting mental health in elite sports. However, they themselves are exposed to risks affecting their mental health, and their fears and worries are often overlooked. Moreover, it remains unclear how coaches' mental health affects their athletes' mental health. OBJECTIVE To create a compilation of the literature on (1) elite coaches' mental health and (2) how coaches' mental health influences elite athletes' mental health. Building on this, recommendations for improving coaches' psychological well-being should be elaborated upon and discussed. DATA SOURCES A literature search was conducted up to November 30, 2021, using the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and SportDiscus. STUDY SELECTION Studies reporting elite coaches' mental health symptoms and disorders and the influence of elite coaches' mental health on elite athletes' mental health were included. STUDY DESIGN Scoping review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level 4. DATA EXTRACTION Data regarding elite coaches' mental health, as well as their influence on athletes' mental health and performance, were included in a descriptive analysis. The PRISMA guidelines were used to guide this review. RESULTS Little research has been done on elite coaches' mental health disorders, although studies confirm that they do experience, for example, symptoms of burnout, anxiety, and depression. The influence of coaches' mental health on their athletes is underinvestigated, with research focused mainly on the influence of coaches' stress. CONCLUSION Knowledge about coaches' mental health is still limited. Coaches' poor mental health diminishes coaching performance and might impair athletes' mental health. Coaches should receive more support, including sports psychiatric care and education on the importance of mental health. This could improve the mental health of both coaches and athletes, and positively affect athlete performance