Guidelines for mental health promotion in the sports system

Abstract

Mental health has always been a relevant topic, but notoriety came with the case of gymnast Simone Biles and her decision not to compete in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The gymnast's case is not an isolated situation, as it has already been experienced by athletes Gabriel Medina, three-time world surfing champion, as well as tennis player Naomi Osaka, basketball athlete Liz Cambage and many others. Studies reveal that mental illnesses are the main causes of disability, affecting almost one billion people in the world and despite the high incidence, access to diagnosis and treatment is scarce for athletes and the general population. If, on the one hand, physical exercise is recognized as an effective tool in reducing stress, depressive symptoms, general and social anxiety, and loneliness (FOSSATI et al, 2021), on the other hand, the pressure exerted in sports environments can be a driver of disease symptoms. In view of the high incidence of mental disorders in athletes and the reduced number of studies on guidelines for the promotion of mental health in sports, this chapter analyzes the Japanese and Australian models and the international consensus on sports psychiatry, in order to highlight what has been done and identify principles that are appropriate to the multicontextual scenario of Brazilian sports practice. By verifying the findings, it is understood that the Brazilian model can start with the training of interdisciplinary teams and athletes, so that they can recognize symptoms and signs of the fragility of their mental health and have decision-making power on the next steps for identification, but more studies are needed to validate a model that best suits the reality of each region and the financial possibilities of the scenarios presented.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.012-047