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Purpose <p>The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on athletes’ mental health was significant, leading to concerns about their careers due to suspended training and competitions. Understanding the psychological mechanisms involved is crucial to promoting mental health in athletes. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the pandemic on the mental health of high-performance athletes in Brazil.</p> Methods <p>Six hundred and seventy-six participants aged 18–47 completed an online survey during the early stages of the pandemic, providing demographic data and responding to four inventories measuring 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to investigate depressive symptoms, 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) to investigate the severity of anxiety disorders, 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) to identify clinically relevant insomnia and 15-item Impact of Event Scale (IES) to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).</p> Results <p>Women, young adult athletes, and those facing financial loss exhibited higher levels of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and distress. Athletes receiving psychological assistance showed increased distress levels, while isolation did not significantly influence the levels of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and distress.</p> Conclusion <p>The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the mental health of professional athletes, particularly younger athletes and those in social minorities, highlighting the need for targeted mental health support in this population.</p>

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Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of professional athletes

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年5月10日

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  • Isabelle Fernandes,
  • Élida Costa,
  • Eduardo Nicoliche,
  • Caroline Machado,
  • Erik de Souza,
  • Pedro Ribeiro,
  • Bruna Velasques

摘要

Purpose

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on athletes’ mental health was significant, leading to concerns about their careers due to suspended training and competitions. Understanding the psychological mechanisms involved is crucial to promoting mental health in athletes. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the pandemic on the mental health of high-performance athletes in Brazil.

Methods

Six hundred and seventy-six participants aged 18–47 completed an online survey during the early stages of the pandemic, providing demographic data and responding to four inventories measuring 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to investigate depressive symptoms, 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) to investigate the severity of anxiety disorders, 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) to identify clinically relevant insomnia and 15-item Impact of Event Scale (IES) to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Results

Women, young adult athletes, and those facing financial loss exhibited higher levels of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and distress. Athletes receiving psychological assistance showed increased distress levels, while isolation did not significantly influence the levels of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and distress.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the mental health of professional athletes, particularly younger athletes and those in social minorities, highlighting the need for targeted mental health support in this population.