Psychological Distress and Problem Gambling in Elite Athletes during Covid-19 Restrictions—A Web Survey in Top Leagues of Three Sports during the Pandemic

Bibliographic Data

ID15468669
AuthorsAnders Håkansson (0000-0002-5800-8975, Malmö University, corresponding author), Caroline Jönsson (0000-0002-6519-2790, Malmö University), Göran Kenttä (0000-0002-9921-6586, University of Ottawa)
Year2020
Volume17
Issue18
Pages6693-6693
Publication date2020-09-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph17186693
PMID32937978
OpenAlexW3085810617
LanguageEN
Citations received22
References cited41

COVID-19 and lockdown strategies may affect mental health and addictive behavior differently in the population, and elite athletes are among the professions clearly affected by the pandemic. This study in top elite athletes aimed to study current perceived psychological influence from COVID-19 and symptoms of depression, anxiety and changes in alcohol drinking, gambling behavior and problem gambling in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown. This web survey included athletes in top leagues of soccer, ice hockey and handball in Sweden (N = 327, 62% men). A total of 66% and 51% were worried about the future of their sport or about their own future in sports, respectively. Feeling worse psychologically during the pandemic was common (72% of women, 40% of men, p p p p < 0.001). Depression and anxiety were associated with feeling worse during the COVID-19 pandemic and with concern over one's own sports future. In conclusion, COVID-19-related distress is common in elite athletes and associated with mental health symptoms. Gambling increase during the pandemic was rare, but related to gambling problems, which were common in male athletes. The calls for increased focus on COVID-19-related concerns in athletes and on problem gambling in male athletes

Anxiety · Athletes · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Depression (economics · Developmental psychology · Disease · Distress · Elite Athletes · Environmental health · Feeling · League · Mental health · Pandemic · Physical therapy · Population · Psychiatry · Somatization · Young adult · Clinical Psychology · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Gambling Behavior and Treatments · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Workaholism, burnout, and well-being

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