As the seasons change, lets work towards having a deeper understanding of the fluidity within the mental health of athletes.
With mental health being more widely understood as a genuine concern for athletes to consider when they organise their life, their training, and with who they surround themselves with, we are seeing an increased array of disorders, and increasing prevalence. Figures vary across countries and demographics, but a typical figure of the prevalence of mental health issues states that a quarter of adults experience issues each year (Mind, 2017). Mental Health England have shown that the proportion of people with severe symptoms of common mental disorders in a week has risen by 3% (NHS Digital, Mental Health & Wellbeing in England: 2014). The most common form of mental ill health is depression, followed by anxiety and then Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This is reported across research bodies including Mental Health First Aid England, Mind, and academic institutions. There is little research on what these issues look like in sport, and this creates problems, especially for athletes who suffer seasonally from mental health issues.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is an issue where the changing climate, sun patterns, and environment affect mood, sleep patterns, energy, libido, eating patterns, and social activity. Anecdotal descriptions of changes in mood and behavior on a seasonal basis date back to antiquity, but only within the last decade have these changes been systematically examined and described as a clinical entity. The Royal College of Psychiatrists report that Seasonal Affective Disorder affects 3% of adults in the UK (2015). Despite increased research efforts over the last decade, there is no known cause, but researchers do know that the reduced amount of light in the winter seems to be important and is more common where it is dark in the winter. There has been a lot of research exploring how this lack of daylight can influence appetite, wakefulness and mood.
Looking at the affects of Seasonal Affective Disorder, it is plain to see how this can be damaging to elite athletes, especially in athletics where the winter months play a vital role in building the foundations for a successful spring and summer season. An American track athlete anecdotally recalled their experience of SAD "symptoms such as lethargy can manifest themselves in many ways, like difficulty getting out the door for a run or excessive fatigue during workouts. Combined with increased cravings, this can result in significant fat gain for athletes. As an athlete and sufferer of SAD, I know these symptoms well. Being physically cold in winter and desperately seeking a way to warm up."
Within the International Journal of Athletic training Shafer and McKeag reported that 40% of athletes suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is an alarming statistic but notice must be made that this was research conducted in Northern America where there can be less sunlight in the winter months, with a much colder climate throughout the year, but the issue is still global, as Olympian Sara Giovanetti explains "even though one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lives, the stigma associated with mental health — especially for athletes who are celebrated for their mental ‘toughness’ — prevents people from seeking help. “Everyone on the planet knows someone who has experienced a mental health issue”. Even thought the prevalence of SAD in athletes is becoming more widely researched and the stigma is behind the issues is slowly fading, there still seems to be a lack of support, or an awareness of it.
Mind have published a list of useful treatments to aid the suffering associated with SAD, including use a light-box, talking to a GP, and medication. This support needs to be made suitable for athletes, as there is still a lack of understanding within professional medical circles for how the needs of athletes differs to the needs of others.
If you would like more information about how SAD impacts athletes, coping mechanisms and the underlying reasons why people are impacted more than others, listen to this Podcast we recently recorded with Women In Sport.
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