The Consequences of Choking in Sport: A Constructive or Destructive Experience?

Through an empirical phenomenological methodology, the study examined the short- and long-term consequences of choking in sport. Eleven intermediate golfers (10 male, 1 female; age 23–50 years, M = 34.6, SD = 8.9) with handicaps of 6–18 (M = 10.91, SD = 3.98) completed phenomenological interviews that explored the perceived psychological impact of their choking episode(s). While the reported short-term consequences were negative (i.e., collapse in performance standards, limited attention/emotional control, and negative affect), most participants thought the long-term impact of choking was constructive, for it encouraged adversity-related growth. However, a small number of golfers identified the long-term consequences as highly destructive, including a loss of self-confidence, withdrawal from the sport, and, in 1 case, lowered self-worth. The findings of the study extend the choking literature by informing strategies that can be used to encourage constructive, rather than destructive, consequences from any choking episode that athletes may experience

Examining mental health literacy, help seeking behaviours, and mental health outcomes in UK university students

PurposeMany university students in the UK experience mental health problems and little is known about their overall mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviours. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain levels of mental health literacy in UK university students and to examine whether mental health literacy is associated with better mental health outcomes and intentions to seek professional care.Design/methodology/approachA total of 380 university students at a university in the south of England completed online surveys measuring multiple dimensions of mental health literacy, help-seeking behaviour, distress, and well-being.FindingsMental health literacy in the students sampled was lower than seen in previous research. Women exhibited higher levels of mental health literacy than men and postgraduate students scored higher than undergraduate students. Participants with previous mental health problems had higher levels of mental health literacy than those with no history of mental health problems. Individuals were most likely to want to seek support from a partner or family member and most participants indicated they would be able to access mental health information online. Mental health literacy was significantly positively correlated with help-seeking behaviour, but not significantly correlated with distress or well-being.Practical implicationsStrategies, such as anonymous online resources, should be designed to help UK university students become more knowledgeable about mental health and comfortable with seeking appropriate support.Originality/valueThis study is the first to examine multiple dimensions of mental health literacy in UK university students and compare it to help-seeking behaviour, distress, and well-being

Depressive symptoms in high-performance athletes and non-athletes: a comparative meta-analysis

Objective To assess whether a difference exists in the prevalence of mild or more severe depressive symptoms between high-performance athletes and non-athletes. Design Comparative OR meta-analysis. Data sources We searched PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus and Google Scholar, as well as the reference lists of reviews of mental health issues in high-performance athletes. Eligibility We included studies that compared highperformance athletes and non-athletes, included a validated measure of depressive symptoms and included the prevalence of individuals who indicated at least mild depressive symptoms. Results Five articles reporting data from 1545 highperformance athletes and 1811 non-athletes were examined. A comparative OR meta-analysis found high-performance athletes were no more likely than non-athletes to report mild or more severe depressive symptoms (OR=1.15, 95% CI=0.954 to 1.383, p=0.145). Male high-performance athletes (n=940) were no more likely than male non-athletes (n=605) to report mild or more severe depressive symptoms (OR=1.17, 95% CI=0.839 to 1.616, p=0.362). For females, high-performance athletes (n=948) were no more likely than non-athletes (n=605) to report mild or more severe depressive symptoms (OR=1.11, 95% CI=0.846 to 1.442, p=0.464). Overall, male high-performance athletes (n=874) were 52% less likely to report mild or more severe depressive symptoms than female highperformance athletes (n=705) (OR=0.48, 95% CI=0.369 to 0.621, p<0.001). Summary/conclusions High-performance athletes were just as likely as non-athletes to report depressive symptoms. Researchers need to move beyond self-report measures of depressive symptoms and examine the prevalence of clinically diagnosed depressive disorders in athletes

Are people with schizophrenia adherent to diabetes medication? A comparative meta-analysis

Individuals living with schizophrenia are 2-3 times more likely to experience type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetes medication adherence is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality in this population. We conducted a meta-analysis of diabetes medication adherence among people with schizophrenia, and compared this to those without schizophrenia. A systematic search strategy was used to identify all articles reporting adherence to diabetes medications among patients with schizophrenia. In total, 10 unique studies reporting data from 33,910 people with schizophrenia were included. Random effects meta-analysis showed people with schizophrenia adhered to medication on 77.3% of days prescribed (n=32080, 95%CI=73.6-81%, I2=99.2%,), and adhered on 4.6% more days per year than those without schizophrenia (p80% adherence over 12-24 month) to diabetes medication, which was significantly more than those without schizophrenia (OR=1.34, 95%CI: 1.18-1.52, p<0.01). Factors which were positively associated with diabetes medication adherence were age, number of outpatient visits, along with multiple medication administration variables. Future prospective research should examine diabetes monitoring, medication prescription, and subsequent adherence in fully representative samples. Novel interventions for maximizing compliance to diabetes medication in this vulnerable population should also be explored.publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Are people with schizophrenia adherent to diabetes medication? A comparative meta-analysis journaltitle: Psychiatry Research articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.049 content_type: article copyright: © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.status: publishe

Mental health service provision in low and middle income countries

This paper discusses the provision of mental health services in lower- and middle-income countries (LAMIC) with a view to identifying culture-specific areas that can be improved and generalised within and across different countries and services. The paper highlights the need for prioritisation of mental health services by incorporating local population and cultural needs. This can be achieved only through political will and strengthened legislation, improved resource allocation and strategic organisation, integrated packages of care underpinned by professional communication and training, and involvement of patients, informal carers and the wider community in a therapeutic capacity

Exercise self-efficacy correlates in people with psychosis

Despite the recognition of the importance of exercise self-efficacy in exercise adoption and maintenance, previous investigations on exercise self-efficacy in people with psychosis is scarce. The present study aimed to (1) explore if exercise self-efficacy differed between stages of behavior change in Ugandan outpatients with psychosis, and (2) assess sociodemographic, clinical and motivational correlates of exercise self-efficacy. In total, 48 patients (24 women) completed the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES), the Patient-centered Assessment and Counseling for Exercise questionnaire, the Brief Symptoms Inventory-18 (BSI-18), and questions pertaining to intrinsic motivation in the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2. Additionally, participants were asked about their exercise behavior in the past 7 days and screened for cardio-metabolic risk factors. Higher ESES-scores were observed in those in the maintenance (n = 17) versus those in the pre-action stage (n = 17) of behavior change. Higher ESES-scores were also significantly associated with lower BSI-18 somatization and higher intrinsic motivation scores. Our data indicated that health care professionals should assist patients with psychosis in interpreting physiological states during exercise. Future research should explore whether bolstering such sources of information might directly or indirectly effect exercise self-efficacy.status: publishe

Evaluating mental health literacy amongst US college students: A cross sectional study

Objective: This study examined levels of mental health literacy amongst US university students, as well as relationships between mental health literacy, help-seeking behaviors, and mental health outcomes. Participants: Three hundred and twenty-six (326) US university students participated in this study online. Methods: Participants filled out questionnaires that assessed their mental health literacy, intentions to seek support, psychological distress, wellbeing, and self-compassion. Results: The mean mental health literacy score was 123.96 (SD = 16.01). Women scored significantly higher than men (p < .01) on mental health literacy. Individuals who had a previous mental disorder diagnosis had significantly higher scores than those with no previous diagnosis (p < .01). A significant positive relationship was found between mental health literacy and self-compassion (p < .01). Conclusions: Our research highlights significant differences between women and men in relation to mental health literacy, psychological distress, and help-seeking behavior. There is a need to design culturally competent interventions that involve diverse students

Behaviour change in exercise referral

This chapter introduces individual and environmental factors associated with physical activity. It presents strategies to identify and overcome individual and environmental barriers to physical activity. The chapter explains how physical activity outcome expectations should be communicated to clients. It presents various behavioural strategies to promote physical activity within exercise referral schemes. The UK Physical Activity Guidelines provide guidance from the chief medical officer on the amount of physical activity people should do on a daily or weekly basis. Epidemiological evidence has shown that being active is not easy and something most people do not do enough of. Research that has informed our understanding of factors that influence physical activity behaviour has been derived from both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Social support is correlated with physical activity in a range of individuals, particularly from family and peers with similar health concerns