The Efficacy of a Mental Skills Training Course for Collegiate Athletes.

CONTEXT: Psychological skills training improves performance in athletes. However, few studies have looked at the efficacy and satisfaction of mental skills training programs for collegiate athletes. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate satisfaction of collegiate athletes with a 6-session mental skills course, and to assess changes in mental toughness and coping skills before and after the course. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study following collegiate female athletes through a 6-session mental skills course. SETTING: Division 1 collegiate athletic teams. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: 54 Division I female athletes (mean age =19.8) participated in the program and 42 (77.7 %) completed pre-course assessments, which subsequent evaluations were matched to. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI, range=0-84) and Mental Toughness Index (MTI, range=8-56) assessed coping skills and mental toughness pre-course, immediate post-course and 4-month post course. Satisfaction was assessed on a 10-point scale. RESULTS: For participants with paired pre- and immediate post-course data (n=37, 68.5%), MTI scores improved by a mean 2.6 points (95% CI=1.1-4.1; p=0.001) and ACSI scores improved by a mean 4.0 points (95% CI=0.6-7.4; p=0.02). At four-month follow-up (n=25, 46.2%), no change was detected from pre-course in mean MTI score (p=0.72), but there was a significant increase of 3.4 points in mean ACSI (95% CI=0.4-6.4; p=0.03). Overall satisfaction had a median score of 9/10 (IQR, 8-10) at post-course, and eighteen participants (48.6%) shared positive free-text comments regarding course delivery, content, and impact. No negative feedback was reported. CONCLUSIONS: Mental toughness and coping skills scores significantly improved at post-course assessment, with coping skills scores maintaining their effect at four months. The improvements identified spark the question of the potential impact of mental skills training programs when studied in larger athlete populations or over more sustained periods of time. Athletes reported being highly satisfied with course content and reported overall positive experiences.

Team Sport Athletes May Be Less Likely To Suffer Anxiety or Depression than Individual Sport Athletes.

The objective of the study was to determine whether 1) the proportion of athletes with mental health diagnoses and 2) athlete motivations for playing differ between team sports and individual sports. We conducted a cross-sectional study of child and adolescent athletes assessed at a sports injury prevention center. We compared self-reported anxiety, depression, and reasons for participating in sports between athletes in individual sports (e.g. gymnastics, running, diving) and team sports (e.g. soccer, football, hockey). In addition, we categorized motivation for participating in sports as 1) for fun, with associated benefits of participation including, motives such as making friends and being part of a team or 2) for goal-oriented reasons with associated benefits of participation including motives such as obtaining scholarship or controlling weight. At the time of this analysis, 756 athletes between the ages of 6 and 18 years had undergone a sports injury prevention evaluation. Most athletes were White (85%) and there was a slight female predominance (56%). Of the total population, 8% reported suffering from anxiety or depression. A higher proportion of individual sport athletes reported anxiety or depression than team sport athletes (13% vs. 7%, p < 0.01). Individual sport athletes were more likely than athletes in team sports to play their sports for goal-oriented reasons, as opposed to for fun (30% vs. 21%, p < 0.05). Individual sport athletes are more likely to report anxiety and depression than team sport athletes. The mental health benefits of participation in organized sports may vary between individual sport athletes and those playing team sports.

Career Transitions for the Young Dancer: Considering Psychological Implications, Challenges with Athletic Identity, and Need for Available Resources.

AIMS: Young dancers are likely to revolve their entire identity around dance, and there is the potential risk for disruption to their identity and psychological upset upon change of status or loss of dance following high school. The objective of our study was to systematically review the current literature examining psychological implications, athletic identity, and career transitions for young dancers. METHODS: A systematic review was performed covering the last 30 years of dance-related literature (1987-2017) through PubMed and EBSCOhost. To be included, the following criteria had to be met: 1) dancers' ages were between 14-22 years, 2) dancers' training experience was documented and its duration was at least 5 years, and 3) information regarding career transition including available resources, athletic identity, or psychological impact was stated. All statements, documentation, and information related to dancer career transition and choice, including psychological impact, athletic identity, and available resources, were extracted. Quality assessment and level of evidence plans were set a priori. RESULTS: Four publications were found as a result of the systematic review; however, no study met all three of our inclusion criteria. CONCLUSIONS: No formal research exists that focuses on career transition for young dancers. More studies are needed that focus on the psychological and physical implications of career decisions for dancers in order to guide healthy decisions when transitioning out of high school into a career path.

Association between coping skills, past injury and hip pain and function in adolescent elite female ballet dancers.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between coping skills and current hip pain and function scores in ballet dancers. Secondly, we examined the relationship between coping skills and past injuries. Thirdly, we investigated the association between past injuries and current pain and function scores. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study. Twenty-six young elite female dancers (mean age 15.9 years, range 14-17 years) participated. Participants completed surveys indicating past injury history, rating pain and function on the short International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12), and assessing coping skills on the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory Score (ACSI-28). Independent t-tests, Cohen's d, effect size, chi-square and correlation coefficient and determination analyses were conducted. RESULTS: There was no significant relationship between iHOT-12 scores and ACSI-28 scores (r = -0.250, p = 0.087). There was no significant difference (p = 0.289) in past injuries comparing those with ACSI-28 scores above and below the mean ACSI-28. A significant moderate negative correlation was detected between both iHOT-12 scores and total past injuries (r = -0.609, p < 0.001), and iHOT-12 scores and past non-hip injuries (r = -0.628, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Past injuries may influence current hip pain and function in young female dancers. Correlation determination (r2) indicated that 37% of current pain and function scores were explained by total past injuries in a small group of young high-level ballet dancers. Further research should engage a prospective design to investigate the predictive ability of findings.