Personal risk factors and types of sport associated with drive for thinness and drive for muscularity in NextGen athletes.

Introduction: Professional and student-athletes are at risk of developing symptoms of eating disorders (ED), including drive for thinness and muscularity due to personal risk factors (e.g., low self-esteem) and sport-specific characteristics (e.g., sport requirements). However, limited studies have focused on ED symptoms among NextGen athletes (identified in Canada as élite or relève) who compete at the provincial, national, and international levels but are not yet part of national teams. As such, they have access to fewer financial resources and support from their sport federations, which can create additional stress for these athletes. The present study aimed to identify personal risk factors and types of sports associated with (a) drive for thinness and (b) drive for muscularity in NextGen athletes. Methods: These athletes (n = 254) aged between 14 and 25 years old completed an online questionnaire. Perfectionism, self-esteem in sport, drive for thinness, and drive for muscularity were, respectively, assessed by the Multidimensional Inventory of Perfectionism in Sport, the Sport State Self-Esteem Scale, the Eating Attitude Test-26, and the Drive for Muscularity Scale. Other personal risk factor (e.g., athletic status) were measured using in-house questions. Each personal risk factor was included in two multiple linear regressions, respectively, to determine which factors were most associated with drive for thinness and drive for muscularity. Results: Analyses revealed that perfectionist aspirations during training were linked to a stronger desire for thinness. In addition, not being in school or not having a job were also linked to a stronger desire for thinness. Several variables were found to be associated with a greater desire for muscularity: being a male athlete, playing team sport, weight category sport or endurance sport (as opposed to esthetic sport), having elite status, being less satisfied with one's current sporting performance and having higher perfectionist aspirations during training. Discussion: This study offers initial insights into the factors influencing EDs among NextGen athletes, which provides a foundation for deeper exploration and the creation or modification of targeted interventions. These findings can guide sport organizations in creating guidelines and programs to better support the next generation of national athletes (e.g., create programs to help athletes maintain investments outside).

The role, readiness to change and training needs of the Athlete Health and Performance team members to safeguard athletes from interpersonal violence in sport: a mini review.

Safeguarding athletes from interpersonal violence (IV) in sport is an important topic of concern. Athlete Health and Performance (AHP) team members working with athletes have a professional, ethical, and moral duty to protect the health of athletes, prevent IV, and intervene when it occurs. However, little is known on their respective roles regarding IV in sport and their needs to fulfill their responsibility of safeguarding athletes. The aim of this review is to synthesize knowledge about the roles, readiness to change and training needs of AHP team members to navigate IV in sport. A total of 43 articles are included in the review. Results show that all AHP team members have a role to play in safeguarding athletes and should therefore be trained in the area of IV in sport. Overall, very little research has directly assessed AHP team members' needs to positively foster safety and eliminate IV in sport. There are common training needs for all types of AHP team members such as the ability to recognize signs and symptoms of IV in sport. However, there are also specific needs based on the role of the AHP team members such as ways of facilitating behavioural change for sport managers. Findings from this review are mostly experts' recommendations and should therefore be interpreted as such. The results of the review can guide the development of future research and recommendations.

Symptoms of mental illness among university student-athletes during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Canada.

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown disrupted the university sports season and had negative consequences on the academic and personal life of university student-athletes, resulting in several psychological challenges. The goal of this study is to document the symptoms of mental illness among university student-athletes during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Canada. It aims to (a) assess the prevalence of mental illness symptoms (anxiety, depression, disordered eating, and dangerous drinking) among university student-athletes and (b) identify which sociodemographic and sports characteristics, pandemic impacts, and levels of perceived stress most influence these symptoms. A total of 424 university student-athletes completed an online survey, which included questions on mental illness and the impact of the pandemic lockdown. The results revealed a notable prevalence of the symptoms of mental illness; depressive symptoms are reported by 37.9% of the participants, anxiety symptoms by 24.9%, dangerous drinking symptoms by 10.1%, and disordered eating by 8.6%. In addition, being female [OR = 0.56, 95% CI (0.33, 0.95)] or a member of a visible minority group [OR = 2.63, 95% CI (1.02, 6.78)] are significantly associated with the presence of depressive symptoms. Low academic motivation has a significant negative influence on the presence of depressive [OR = 3.37, 95% CI (1.82, 6.25)] and anxiety symptoms [OR = 2.75, 95% CI (1.35, 5.62)]. However, the presence of perceived stress was strongly associated with depressive [OR = 7.07, 95% CI (3.26, 15.35)], anxiety [OR = 6.51, 95% CI (3.30, 12.84)], and dangerous drinking symptoms [OR = 5.74, 95% CI (2.51, 13.14)]. This study advocates for specific mental illness prevention and treatment resources tailored to the unique needs of university student-athletes. Accordingly, partnerships and practical interventions to support university student-athletes' mental health are presented.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian national team athletes' mental performance and mental health: The perspectives of mental performance consultants and mental health practitioners.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has led to significant disruptions in the lives of high-performance athletes, including the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, the cancellation of many international and national competitions, and drastic changes in athletes' daily training environment. The purpose of this research was to examine the interplay between the mental health and mental performance of Canadian national team athletes and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these variables from the perspective of mental performance consultants and mental health practitioners. Twelve individuals working in these roles with national team athletes participated in focus groups and interviews during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Findings from the inductive reflexive thematic analysis revealed three main themes: (a) factors impacting athlete mental health (i.e., social and environmental, psychological, and public health restrictions), (b) consequences of COVID-19 for athletes (low mood symptoms, anxiety and stress symptoms, maladaptive behaviors, time for life outside of sport, rest, and recovery), and (c) impact of the pandemic on practitioners (roles, preparation and resources, gaps, and well-being). Interestingly, athletes with prior good mental performance skills were perceived to be more equipped to cope with challenges related to the pandemic, which concurrently seemed to facilitate good mental health throughout the pandemic. Furthermore, even though the pandemic had several debilitative consequences on athletes' mental health, it imposed a break from training and competition that allowed them to rest and enjoy their life outside of sport. Finally, participants discussed the need for more mental health resources and better access to practitioners supporting mental performance and mental health in the Canadian sport system.

How collaborative mental health care for competitive and high-performance athletes is implemented: A novel interdisciplinary case study.

Introduction: Collaborative care is considered a best practice in mental health care delivery and has recently been applied in high-performance sport to address athletes' mental health needs. However, how the collaborative process unfolds in practice in the sport setting has not yet been well documented. The purpose of this illustrative case study was to investigate a novel interdisciplinary approach used within the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS) to provide mental health care to clients. Focusing on 'how' the approach was implemented, the aim of the study was to provide insight into the collaboration that occurred between mental performance and mental health practitioners to provide care to a high-performance athlete over an 11-month period, as well as factors facilitating and impeding the team's collaboration. The case involved three practitioners and a 16-year-old female athlete experiencing chronic pain, low mood, and elevated anxiety. Methods: In the first phase of the data collection process, each practitioner engaged in guided reflective journaling to describe the case and reflect on their practice and outcomes. During the second phase, practitioners co-created a case timeline to describe the collaborative process using clinical documents. Lastly, practitioners participated in collaborative reflection to collectively reflect more broadly on collaboration practice occurring within the CCMHS and Canadian sport system. Results: The data depict a complex care process in which the necessity and intensity of collaboration was primarily driven by the client's symptoms and needs. A content analysis showed that collaboration was facilitated by the CCMHS' secure online platform and tools, as well as individual practitioner and team characteristics. Collaboration was, however, hindered by logistical challenges, overlapping scopes of practice, and client characteristics. Discussion: Overall, there were more perceived benefits than drawbacks to providing collaborative care. While flexibility was required during the process, deliberate and systematic planning helped to ensure success. Factors such as interdependence of collaborative practice, complementarity of practice within care teams, compensation for collaboration, in-person versus virtual delivery, and intricacies of care coordination should be further examined in the future to optimize collaborative mental health care in sport.

The Acceptability and Appropriateness of a Collaborative, Sport-Centered Mental Health Service Delivery Model for Competitive, and High-Performance Athletes.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptability and appropriateness of a sport-centered, collaborative mental health service delivery model implemented within the Canadian Center for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS) over a period of 16 months. The study is situated within a larger Participatory Action Research (PAR) project to design, implement and evaluate the CCMHS. Primary data were collected from CCMHS practitioners (n = 10) and service-users (n = 6) through semi-structured interviews, as well as from CCMHS stakeholders (n = 13) during a project meeting, captured via meeting minutes. Secondary data derived from documents (e.g., clinical, policy, procedural; n = 48) created by the CCMHS team (i.e., practitioners, stakeholders, board of directors) during the Implementation Phase of the project were reviewed and analyzed to triangulate the primary data. The Framework Method was used to organize, integrate and interpret the dataset. Overall, results indicate that both practitioners and service-users found the model to be both acceptable and appropriate. In particular, practitioners' knowledge and experience working in sport, a robust intake process carried out by a centralized Care Coordinator, and the ease and flexibility afforded by virtual care delivery significantly contributed to positive perceptions of the model. Some challenges associated with interprofessional collaboration and mental health care costs were highlighted and perceived as potentially hindering the model's acceptability and appropriateness.

The Temporal Ordering of Motivation and Self-Control: A Cross-Lagged Effects Model.

Mechanisms leading to cognitive energy depletion in performance settings such as high-level sports highlight likely associations between individuals' self-control capacity and their motivation. Investigating the temporal ordering of these concepts combining self-determination theory and psychosocial self-control theories, the authors hypothesized that athletes' self-control capacity would be more influenced by their motivation than vice versa and that autonomous and controlled types of motivation would predict self-control capacity positively and negatively, respectively. High-level winter-sport athletes from Norwegian elite sport colleges (N = 321; 16-20 years) consented to participate. Using Bayesian structural equation modeling and 3-wave analyses, findings revealed credible self-control → motivation → self-control cross-lagged effects. Athletes' trait self-control especially initiated the temporal ordering of the least controlled types of motivation (i.e., intrinsic, integrated, and amotivation). Findings indicate that practicing self-control competencies and promoting athletes' autonomous types of motivation are important components in the development toward the elite level. These components will help athletes maintain their persistent goal striving by increasing the value and inherent satisfaction of the development process, avoiding the debilitating effects of self-control depletion and exhaustion.

Smartphones and Varsity Athletes: A Complicated Relationship.

Varsity athletes are a group of high performers situated within a demographic notable for smartphone usage and media-multitasking. Surprisingly, little research has examined the impact of smartphones in the lives of varsity athletes. The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study was to begin addressing this gap by investigating varsity athletes' experiences with smartphones. Varsity athletes (n = 21) from nine different sports participated in one of five focus groups, and data emerging from these discussions were subjected to an inductive thematic analysis. Results indicate that smartphones are a mainstay of varsity athletes' experiences, as the athletes regularly use their smartphones to manage roles and demands across multiple contexts (e.g., sport, school, home). Themes pertained to concurrent negative (e.g., stress, distraction, disengagement) and positive (e.g., self-regulation, social connectedness) implications of smartphone usage, making it clear that athletes' relationship with their smartphone is a complicated one. Findings contribute to the limited studies of smartphone usage among athletes, and support the notion that implications of usage exist along a continuum, rather than in distinct categories of "good" and "bad". Results can inform practical guidelines for optimising athletes' use of smartphones in and around the sport context.

Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS) Position Statement: Principles of Mental Health in Competitive and High-Performance Sport.

The brave decision made by many Canadian athletes to share their experience with mental illness has fed a growing dialogue surrounding mental health in competitive and high-performance sport. To affect real change for individuals, sport culture must change to meet demands for psychologically safe, supportive, and accepting sport environments. This position statement addresses mental health in competitive and high-performance sport in Canada, presenting solutions to current challenges and laying a foundation for a unified address of mental health by the Canadian sport community. The paper emerged from the first phase of a multidisciplinary Participatory Action Research (PAR) project, in which a sport-focused mental health care model housed within the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS) is currently being designed, implemented, and evaluated by a team of 20 stakeholders, in collaboration with several community partners and advisors.

An evidence-based walking program among older people with knee osteoarthritis: the PEP (participant exercise preference) pilot randomized controlled trial.

Knee osteoarthritis is a common joint problem leading to an increase of pain and a loss of function in older individuals. The main objective of this study was to evaluate if a participant who was randomly assigned to his preferred group improved his adherence to an effective walking program compared to a participant who did not receive his preferred group. This was a 9-month pilot randomized clinical trial, based on a patient treatment preferences design. The 69 eligible participants had a diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis. Participants were randomized to one of two groups: a supervised community-based or unsupervised walking program, based on the Ottawa Panel guidelines. At 6 months, participants who expressed a preference, either for the supervised or unsupervised program, and who were assigned to their preferred choice of program showed significantly higher adherence to walking sessions (supervised 60.7 ± 12.3%, P < 0.0001; unsupervised 43.1 ± 12.1%, P = 0.03), compared to the participants who did not obtain their preferred choice of program. After 9 months, significant improvements were shown according to the level of stiffness evaluated with the WOMAC (P = 0.01) and the functional status assessed with the Timed Up and GO Test (P = 0.04), among the adherent participants who obtained their preference, as compared to those who did not receive their preference. We show this approach promotes long-term adherence to a community-based walking program, while ensuring the maintenance of clinical benefits of walking, among older adults susceptible to avoid or not properly engage in physical activity.

Guidelines for writing applied case studies in sport and exercise psychology / Directrices para estudios de caso de la práctica de la psicología del ejercicio y deporte

While there has been a significant expansion of continued professional development opportunities in recent years, there has often, historically, been a reluctance for sport and exercise psychologists to both share, and receive feedback on their professional practice (Cotterill, Weston and Breslin, 2016). The recent development of the new Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology journal, a flagship journal of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, supports an increasing appetite for this type of dissemination. Building upon these recent developments this paper draws on the experience of several experienced practitioners, who are also supervisors, assessors and journal editors in applied sport and exercise psychology. Guidelines for the preparation of applied case studies are offered as an aid for practitioners who are seeking to both publicise and share their work, and/or contribute to the literature and current knowledge in this area. We argue that the voices of practitioners represent an important component of any scientific literature, and we encourage practitioners to both share their work; reflect on the effectiveness of different approaches and techniques, and engage in the ongoing debate that characterizes scientific progress. In this way, we seek to help address the criticism that literature in sport and exercise psychology is too theoretically focused, and not representative of the ‘real-world’. We seek to help close the research-practice ‘gap’ (AU)

Aunque ha habido una expansión significativa de las oportunidades de desarrollo profesional continuado en los últimos años, históricamente ha habido una renuencia de los psicólogos del deporte y del ejercicio a compartir y recibir sugerencias y comentarios sobre su práctica profesional (Cotterill et al., 2016). El reciente desarrollo de la nueva revista de Estudios de Casos en el Deporte y la Psicología del Ejercicio, una revista emblemática de la Asociación de Psicología del Deporte Aplicado, apoya el creciente interés por este tipo de difusión entre profesionales. Basándose en estos recientes desarrollos, este trabajo se basa en la experiencia de varios profesionales experimentados, que también son supervisores de estudiantes, asesores y editores de revistas en el deporte aplicado y la psicología del ejercicio. Las guías para la preparación de estudios de casos aplicados se ofrecen como una ayuda para los profesionales que buscan publicar y compartir su trabajo y / o contribuir a la literatura y el conocimiento actual en esta área. Parecería que las voces de los practicantes representan un componente importante de cualquier literatura científica, y animamos a los practicantes a compartir su trabajo; Reflexionar sobre la eficacia de los diferentes enfoques y técnicas y participar en el debate actual que caracteriza el progreso científico. De esta manera, tratamos de ayudar a abordar la crítica de que la literatura en el deporte y la psicología del ejercicio es demasiado teórica, y no representativo del 'mundo real'. Buscamos ayudar a cerrar la 'brecha' entre la investigación y la práctica (AU)

Exhaustion Experiences in Junior Athletes: The Importance of Motivation and Self-Control Competencies.

Quality of motivation, self-control competencies, as well as past performance experience influence sport participation outcomes in developing athletes. Studies have shown that junior athletes high in self-determined motivation are less prone to experience burnout, while self-control competencies help developing athletes to be conscious and deliberate in their self-regulatory efforts toward elite sport performances and avoid negative sport participation outcomes. Combining the self-determination theory framework and psychosocial theories of self-regulation, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine how various types of motivation and self-control competencies together are associated with the development of burnout symptoms in junior athletes. High-level Norwegian winter-sport athletes from elite sport academies (N = 199; female n = 72; 16-20 years of age) consented to participate. Associations between six types of motivational regulation, self-control, and indices of exhaustion were investigated. We hypothesized that athletes' self-control competencies are important to operate successfully, and influenced by different types of motivation, they are expected to help athletes avoid negative sport participation outcomes such as emotional and physical exhaustion. Structural equation modeling analyses were conducted to analyze these relationships, and results revealed some multifaceted associations. When identifying antecedents of sport participation exhaustion and burnout, there is a need to go beyond the unique framework of motivation theories, and explore what cognitive competencies ensure fulfillment of motivation desires. In the current study, differences in junior athletes' quality of motivation influenced self-control competencies when predicting exhaustion. Interestingly, young athletes driven by self-determined (intrinsic, integrated, and identified), and controlled (introjected and amotivation) regulations in association with self-control offered the strongest negative and positive associations with exhaustion, respectively. Findings clearly indicate that motivation and self-control competencies are meaningfully interrelated when assessing burnout propensity in young developing athletes.

Factors influencing adherence among older people with osteoarthritis.

This study aims to identify potential factors that could affect adherence and influence the implementation of an evidence-based structured walking program, among older adults diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. A total of 69 participants with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee fulfilled an online survey on potential factors that could affect their adherence to an evidence-based structured walking program. Adherence with regard to the influencing factors was explored using a logistic regression model. Results tend to show higher odds of adhering to the evidence-based walking program if the participants were supervised (more than 2.9 times as high), supported by family/friends (more than 3.7 times as high), and not influenced by emotional involvement (more than 11 times as high). The odds of adhering were 3.6 times lower for participants who indicated a change in their medication intake and 3.1 times lower for individuals who considered themselves as less physically active (95 % confidence interval (CI)). Our exploratory findings identified and defined potential adherence factors that could guide health professionals in their practice to better identify positive influences and obstacles to treatment adherence, which would lead to the adoption of a more patient-centered approach. A large-scale study is required to clearly delineate the key factors that would influence adherence. We addressed a new knowledge gap by identifying the main strategies to promote the long-term adherence of community-based walking program.

Does self-regulation capacity predict psychological well-being in physicians?

Despite increasing research on physician well-being, factors appearing to account for individual variation in levels of optimal functioning are largely unclear. One such factor could be self-regulation, which reflects how individuals effectively manage their thoughts, emotions and behaviours, and cope with adversity in their environment. The purpose of this study was to determine if self-regulation capacity could significantly predict psychological well-being in a sample of Canadian physicians. A total of 132 physicians completed the Scales of Psychological Well-Being and the short form of the Self-Regulation Questionnaire. Regression analyses confirmed the hypothesis that a significant amount of variance in levels of psychological well-being would be explained by self-regulation capacity. There was a particularly strong relationship between self-regulation capacity and the dimensions of purpose in life and environmental mastery, which suggests that physicians who effectively self-manage may be better able to preserve a sense of purpose and an adequate work-life balance in their daily life. Physicians today face consistently growing demands stemming from increasingly challenging work environments. Results of this study mark an important step in increasing our understanding of a potentially valuable skill that may help physicians to achieve well-being.