Relationship between Physical Activity and Depression

Before exploring the health of an athlete its important to understand what mental health is. Mental health is characterised by emotional wellbeing and resilience to stress (ClearingHouseForSport Australian Government Ralph Richards 9th June 2016). Mentally healthy individuals are able to cope with daily stresses and fully participate in family, work and in this case sport activities. A mental disorder is a diagnosable illness that affects a persons thinking, emotional state and behaviour and disrupts his/her ability to carry out normal daily activities and maintain personal relationships. Exercise has many benefits, not only for physical health but also your mental health as well. In the brain, exercise stimulates chemicals that improve an

I have always been interested in studies that looked at mood changes during and after a competition. They had an effective evaluation and pre test set up to test mood changes and got effective results. The research and study was very stimulating and intriguing to read because it was a topic I could relate too. I as well play video games and get very competitive before, during and after I play. Not only do you feel competition in video games but every aspect of life such as work, school etc. It is an important topic to look at and gather further detail about. As suggested however there could have been changes made to the study in order to reflect more accurate results. As the study stands, it seemed to be successful and confirm many of the hypotheses that were first brought up in the introduction.

The negative impact mental health has had on student-athletes is a continuous problem across the globe and has been a topic of interest in the research world for many years. The stigma behind mental health have lead to symptoms of depression and anxiety, reluctance to seek help, the sense of helplessness and loneliness and many more. In a student-athlete, these stress levels are brought upon the individual for multiple reasons. For example, student-athletes have to accomplish a certain degree of success both on the playing field and in the classroom (A.P. , Deitrick, J.M. , & Reynolds, E. (2016). Maintaining a required average and playing time can become not only physically but mentally exhausting. This literature review will discuss the barriers and facilitators to mental health in student-athletes and how the stigmatization of those student-athletes who suffer from a mental illness have an impact on their everyday life.

Some hypothesize that moderate levels of exercise will decrease the symptoms of mental health conditions (Blumenthal et al., 2007; Diaz & Motta, 2008; Motta, Kuligowski, & Marino, 2010; Rosenbaum, Nguyen, Lenehan, Tiedemann, van der Ploeg, & Sherrington, 2011) and therefore be used as an alternative or complimentary treatment option for mental health (Libby, Pilver, & Desai, 2012).

An exercise intervention could be used especially because people who are depressed feel a sense of worthlessness (as in the definition of depression, DSM-V ) . A pilot study by Nadine McGale et al (2011) investigated the effectiveness of a team-based sport with an individual exercise and a control condition of young men. This study included a 10-week randomized control trial and an 8-week post intervention follow-up. A group of 104 sedentary males (exercise once or less per week) aged between 18 and 40 years were randomly assigned to the three groups namely the team-based sport, individual exercise and the control group (that received no intervention). The participants completed the Becks Depression Inventory- 2nd

However as athletes are reconginzed as having potential at a young age the pressure of so much training and competing could trigger a mental health illines. Teenagers and adults can feel a lot of peer pressure in everyday life and athletes need to dedicate a lot of time to their sport to be successful. Away from family and friends could be detrimental. Yet so many cope, some even thriving on the experience of being a professional athlete. It is an individual experience and no way of saying it will or will not occur. Therefore, I believe athletes are not at more risk to deveople a mental illiness because it depends on the person you are and how you cope with

Contact sports such as soccer, hockey, lacrosse, basketball, and football have become popular activities for children to have fun and relieve stress they often face from school. The participation of sports has been closely related with improved physical, social, and mental health. Examples may include enhanced self-esteem, lower probability of teen suicide, higher rates of high school graduation, and reduced use of drugs and tobacco. Although the participation in sports may lead to future health

Since 1990s, many scientists agree that exercise has positive impacts on people’s physical health and mental health (SIME WE, 1987). From Morgan and O’Connor’s research, people can reduce stress and state anxiety by doing physical activities; also gain emotional pleasure from the process (Morgan and O’Connor, 1988). Later in 1997, Landers states that physical activities can reduce people depression after weeks of regular and routine exercise. In addition, people can benefit from more

Many studies have been done to find the benefits of athletics in high school students in years past, but a more significant topic presently is the effect that it has on suicide prevention. Being a part of a team gives social connections to students that they can lean on for anything they might need. Whether it be for physical or emotional needs. Both teammates and coaches give moral support to each other during both in and out of season. (Benefits of Sports) For ages 10-24 and 12-18, suicide is the second preeminent cause of death in adolescents. (Youth Suicide) A study was done by a group of people to analyze the correlation between athletic participation and suicidal tendencies. The data used is based on the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey,

Playing sports is a great way to help with mental health. When students don't have the option of playing sports it can lead to, “...too much screen time and not enough hands on activity,” (“Play is Important”). Many studies have recently exhibited citing the risk of excessive screen time for developing brains, everything from socialization, concentration, speech and writing skills can all be studied. The US Department of Health and Human Services estimates that children in America spend a gargantuan amount of time looking at electronic devices, approximately seven hours a day. If sports were no longer available for children to participate in, the average amount of hours spent on electronics would be increased. Other statistics reveal that kids the age of two regularly play iPad games and have toys in their bedroom that involve touch screens. Getting out the house is a good way to stay healthy and “...Exercise can help reduce depression and anxiety,”(Carson Barrett, “How Does Playing Sports Affect Your Health?”). For many kids in middle school, the need to have perfect grades causes many of them to have anxiety. Many families have younger children that have to deal with deaths and having to deal with a loss can be a main trigger to depression. If those kids were taken away from the opportunity to play sports, the anxiety and depression would most likely increase. Sleep is a big factor of mental health; and being active by participating in sports can increase the amount of sleep children get. Sports “...do this by helping you fall asleep faster and deepening your sleep,”(Kathryn Watson, “The Top 7 Mental Benefits of Sports”). When children come home from a sport, most of the time, their exhausted which would lead to a more reparative sleep, allowing the brain and muscles to rehabilitate more thoroughly. Getting a good amount of sleep can improve your mental outlook and mood the

For High Performance athletes, there can be a lot riding on their results and performance in competition. If athletes develop an over-reliance on sporting success as a source of self-worth and identity, it can lead to serious emotional issues if things do not go as desired. Athletes often identify their self-worth with their ability to perform, and performance failure has been significantly associated with depression (Taylor, 2015 pg.11; Troijan, 2016, pg. 137) Athletes face many struggles and when something goes wrong it can leave them not knowing where to turn for help. They can be left with they feelings that they are nothing, undeserving, and alone. This may also exacerbate their feelings of seclusion, depression, or grief. Most athletes

General recommendations are now widely accepted as to the general advantages of exercise in terms of physical health, such as its ability to prevent weight gain, coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and osteoporosis.14 It appears that health promotion schemes have shied away from extolling exercise’s psychological benefits. After all, there is no government campaign, no public policy initiative, which pontificates exercise on account of a concern for mental wellbeing. Although many people would identify that exercise has a positive influence on mood state, it appears that, generally speaking, this is regarded as a positive correlation, rather than a causal relationship. The ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ concept is thus, for many, a heuristic utopia, rather than a scientifically proven

This article is titled “Vigorous Physical Activity, Mental Health, Perceived Stress, and Socializing Among College Students.” The two authors behind this study were Nicole A. Van Kim, MPH, and Tobin F. Nelson, ScD. It was conducted to observe the relationship between physical activity and mental health among college students. The transition from adolescence to adulthood, and from high school to college or university is a very stressful time for students. Their burden of responsibility is significantly increased as they become more independent and the school workload becomes much heavier. Whilst making the transfer, many students become less active than they once were, which can negatively impact mental health. The researchers

The article is a review taken from multiple research studies that focus on mental health and benefits from participation in sports or physical activity. The research studies/reports were withdrawn from a systematic search of 14 electronic databases such as Ebscohost, PsycINFO, etc. Most studies were conducted within schools, and including a population of 18 years or less. The participation in sport for children and adolescence is associated with improved psychological and social health. Participations in team sports rather than individual activities is associated with better health due to

Youth sports are an incredibly healthy way for kids to grow and release energy. Children in preschool can begin to take part in sports like dance and soccer, and as they grow older, the lists of sports gets longer. However, there are negatives of sports that are often not talked about by parents, coaches, schools, or the media. As a result, stigmatization occurs, leaving children struggling with sports to suffer alone. With youth sports, elevated levels of stress occur, and as a consequence, mental health can decline. Youth sports can have an adverse psychological effect on young athletes and it is an effect that can be damaging for children for their entire lives.