Research Proposal Draft One Assignment

Assessing Mental Issues among the Athletes participating in the various Tracts in the United States of America Name: Institution: Course: Instructor: Date: Abstract Introduction: Athletes undergo vigorous and strenuous training that places them as a vulnerable group for mental health issues (Rice et al., 2016). Objectives: determining the incidence and prevalence rate of mental health issues among the athletes, determining the risk factors for mental health issues among the athletes, determining the mental health coping mechanism, and evaluating the available interventions for athletes with mental health issues. Problem Statement: Athletes suffer from mental health issues among athletes including anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, eating disorders, depression, bipolar, substance abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and suicide. Despite their high level of vulnerability to mental health issues, very few studies have been done to explore the issue of mental well-being among athletes. Methods: This study will employ a quantitative research design involving the elite athletes participating in the various tract events. Data will be collected using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale tool and a questionnaire. The collected data will then be analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and descriptive and inferential data analyzed. Keywords: mental health disorders, mental health issues, athletes, and track. Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351950" Overview PAGEREF _Toc164351950 \h 5 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351951" Background PAGEREF _Toc164351951 \h 5 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351952" Problem Statement PAGEREF _Toc164351952 \h 7 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351953" Purpose Statement PAGEREF _Toc164351953 \h 8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351954" Significance of the Study PAGEREF _Toc164351954 \h 8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351955" Research Questions PAGEREF _Toc164351955 \h 9 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351956" Definitions PAGEREF _Toc164351956 \h 9 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351957" Summary PAGEREF _Toc164351957 \h 9 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351958" CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW PAGEREF _Toc164351958 \h 11 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351959" Overview PAGEREF _Toc164351959 \h 11 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351960" Conceptual or Theoretical Framework PAGEREF _Toc164351960 \h 11 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351961" Related Literature PAGEREF _Toc164351961 \h 12 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351962" Summary PAGEREF _Toc164351962 \h 15 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351963" CHAPTER THREE: METHODS PAGEREF _Toc164351963 \h 17 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351964" Overview PAGEREF _Toc164351964 \h 17 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351965" Design PAGEREF _Toc164351965 \h 18 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351966" Research Question(s) PAGEREF _Toc164351966 \h 18 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351967" Hypothesis(es) PAGEREF _Toc164351967 \h 18 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351968" Participants and Setting PAGEREF _Toc164351968 \h 18 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351969" Instrumentation PAGEREF _Toc164351969 \h 19 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351970" Procedures PAGEREF _Toc164351970 \h 20 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351971" Data Analysis PAGEREF _Toc164351971 \h 20 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351972" Ethical Considerations PAGEREF _Toc164351972 \h 20 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351973" Limitations PAGEREF _Toc164351973 \h 21 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351974" Implications of the Study PAGEREF _Toc164351974 \h 21 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351975" Recommendations for Future Research PAGEREF _Toc164351975 \h 22 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351976" Summary PAGEREF _Toc164351976 \h 22 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc164351977" References PAGEREF _Toc164351977 \h 24 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Overview Currently, the world is grappling with mental health issues right, left, and center, signifying the urgency of addressing mental health issues facing populations and specific groups of people like athletes. Athletes undergo vigorous and strenuous training that places them as a vulnerable group to mental health problems (Rice et al., 2016). Despite their high vulnerability level, very few studies have been done focusing on mental health issues among athletes. Therefore, this research aims to determine the incidence and prevalence rate of mental health issues, determine the risk factors for mental health issues among athletes, explore the mental health issues coping mechanisms, and assess the laid down strategies for the prevention of mental issues among athletes. Chapter One has been structured to deal with the following research aspects: background information, problem and purpose statement, significance of the study, research questions, definitions, and chapter summary. Background Mental health is an aspect of health with several definitions since time immemorial. The definition of mental health depends on two factors: the type of assessment chosen and the theoretical perspective (Åkesdotter et al., 2020). Recently, sports psychology researchers suggested that mental health in sports be conceptualized and treated as a continuum and not based on diagnosis. However, using the continuum models is confusing since identifying the signs and symptoms of the various mental health issues will be difficult. Hence, many mental health issues will go unreported and not addressed (Åkesdotter et al., 2020). The terms mental health problems or issues and mental health disorders are usually taken as synonyms, yet theoretically, each term is different based on the diagnosis criteria. Mental health disorder is a psychiatric condition diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) (Åkesdotter et al., 2020).On the other hand, mental health problems refer to subclinical psychological issues not based on the clinical criteria stipulated in the DSM-5. Nearly 47 million people in the United States of America are suffering from various mental health problems (Åkesdotter et al., 2020). Extrapolating the statistics, 1 in 5 adults will suffer from one or several mental health issues at one point in their lives (Åkesdotter et al., 2020). Many people use various strategies to manage symptoms of mental health issues. The common strategies utilized for managing mental health issues include medication, healthy eating, engaging in physical activity, and therapy. The prevalence rate of mental health issues among athletes is not uniform since different studies adopt different study designs and only concentrate on a few mental health issues. A higher prevalence rate is witnessed in studies with a broad scope of mental health issues. Additionally, broadening the scope of mental health issues means including both psychiatric diagnoses and self-reported cases in the statistics. Statistics from the various studies show some disparity due to this factor. For instance, the prevalence of depression in a study by Rice et al.(2020)based on the clinical assessment is 4%, while on the other hand, the prevalence of depression, including the self-reported data, is 48% (Rice et al., 2016).On the other hand, the prevalence of anxiety-based clinical assessment was found to be 9%, while the prevalence, including self-reported data, was found to be 16% (Rice et al., 2016). The rising cases and worrying trends of mental health issues in the sports arena, more so among the athletes, have attracted the sports authority and other stakeholders. Several recommendations sought from scientific interventions have the potential to remedy the current situation. The recommended strategies range from prevention and control to the use of new sophisticated mental health screening tools. Most of the suggested strategies missed the psychotherapeutic interventions hence not very effective. Athletes are constantly faced with situations that predispose them to mental health issues. Some of the risk factors include the pressure to perform, strenuous training, distance from their families, lack of financial literacy, burnout, and work-family balance. Society enjoys watching athletes competing, setting very high expectations of them, and treating them as perfect human beings who cannot be faced with mental health issues. Several interventions have been proposed to address mental health issues among the athletes. Some interventions offer positive outcomes, while others have yet to go through scientific testing to prove their efficacy. One of the interventions is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which has been termed the most effective intervention for mental health issues among athletes (Rice et al., 2016). The effectiveness of this intervention is its involvement in procedures utilized by the athletes, such as structure, goal setting, and practice. Although it is regarded as the most effective intervention, nothing has been done to test and prove this narrative. Problem Statement Despite being physically fit, athletes are also highly vulnerable to mental health issues, and most of them suffer silently and struggle to achieve and maintain good performance (Purcel, 2019). Several athletes have shown a short performing life, meaning that they do not realize their full athletic potential. Athletes are more prone to mental health issues due to the unique stressful circumstances they encounter daily (Åkesdotter et al., 2020). Additionally, society views athletes as unique human beings hence the high level of stigmatization of mental health issues among athletes (Åkesdotter et al., 2020). There are no statistics providing baseline status levels regarding the incidence and prevalence rates of various mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts. Additionally, several studies have been conducted about mental health issues among different groups. However, research among athletes in the area of mental health issues is still scarce. The scarcity of research among this group directly translates to scarce and ineffective interventions targeting the mitigation and alleviation of mental health issues among this vulnerable group. Athletes raise the flag of a nation high and improve the economy. Their mental well-being should be a national concern since poor mental well-being will negatively impact their performance. Therefore, this research aims to fill the existing knowledge gap in mental health issues among athletes, which will translate to appropriate solutions in the mitigation, prevention, control, and management strategies. Purpose Statement The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence and prevalence rates of mental health issues among athletes, identify risk factors and coping mechanisms used by athletes, and evaluate the available interventions geared towards ensuring their mental well-being. Significance of the Study The findings from this research will be significant in addressing the unique challenges predisposing athletes to mental health issues, allowing them to explore their full potential. These findings will also guide sports stakeholders in formulating policies to better the mental well-being of the athletes. Additionally, the findings will be pivotal in developing appropriate strategies and interventions to ensure athletes attain holistic health and resilience, ensuring their success both on and off the track. Therefore, there is a need to conduct research, specifically experimental research, using this intervention among athletes with existing mental health issues. Research Questions 1 What are the incidence and prevalence rates of mental health problems among athletes? 2 What are the risk factors for mental health issues among the athletes? 3 What coping mechanisms are used by athletes when faced with situations that can impact their mental well-being? 4 What interventions have been laid down to help prevent mental health issues among athletes? Definitions Mental health issues refer to both clinically diagnosed and self-reported mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, loss of interest in sports, Bipolar and psychotic disorders, eating disorders, trauma, suicide, sleep disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Athletes: an individual taking part in competitive track commonly referred to as athletics. The track refers to various athletic events such as walking and long and short races. Summary Mental health issues among athletes are a public health concern, yet there are no concrete statistics to remedy the situation. Many athletes suffer in silence and suffer much stigma and shouldering heavy societal and family expectations, which highly affect their mental health and well-being (Purcel, 2019). Mental health issues affect athletes' performance, their families, and the economy. The objectives of this study are to determine the incidence and pre...