Elite Sport and Sustainable Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

There is conflicting evidence that sport plays a protective role in the development of psychopathological disorders and contributes to the sustainability of mental health. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of mental disorders among elite Slovenian athletes. We were interested in the prevalence of depression, anxiety, suicide risk, substance abuse, and eating disorders among athletes of both sexes and among athletes of individual and team sports aged 18 years or older. A total of 97 elite athletes participated in the study. We used PAI and EDI-3 questionnaires, and the study also included a control group of 90 non-athletes, matched in gender and age to the target group of elite athletes. Testing was conducted in 2020 and 2021. The comparison between elite athletes and the normative group showed a similar expression of depressive and anxious symptomatology. The athletes have a more pronounced drive for thinness and are more expansive, self-confident, and confident of their abilities compared to the control group. A total of 14% of the athletes show self-confidence to the point of self-grandiosity. Male athletes are more likely to use alcohol and other psychoactive substances and are also more impulsive and risk-taking, while female athletes are at higher risk of developing eating disorders. The study suggests that the prevalence of mental disorders in elite athletes is as high as in the general population. There is an urgent need to sustainably ensure the psychological well-being of athletes.