This is a continuous paper, the professor wants the first 3 pages on my topic, which is Female athlete and Mental. Please Follow the concept map on how to start.

Topic: Female athlete and Mental Health

I chose this this topic because, in the past those who suffer from mental health issues, normally have to deal with these afflictions alone and in silence. This is accurate especially amongst people of color. They are either told that they should pray or worse not to worry about their mental stability. However, we have reached a cornerstone in society where speaking out on mental issues is no longer taboo. Due to the fearlessness of female athletes such as Simone Biles, other females are no longer ashamed to speak out on their personal mental issues. This is crucial because it is necessary for females to seek support when they have reached their mental breaking point.

Thesis: What are the impacts on Mental Health of Female athletes in competitive Sports?

Topic: Female athletes And Mental Health

I. Introduction

    a. What is mental health – This point will be discussing about what mental health is. It should also discuss various mental health statistics.

b. Mental health & female athletes

This section will cover how mental health has affected several known female athletes.

II. Effects on female athlete’s physical health

           a. Female Athlete Triad – This section will discuss the female athlete triad. This syndrome has three distinctive physical attributes of female athletes.

b. Covid-19 – This point will discuss how Covid-19 affected the mental health of female athletes.

III.  Social Expectations on female athletes

           a. Media coverage of the female athletes – This section will explore the relationship between female athletes and the media. It will explore the notions given by some female athletes that the media have impacts on their mental health.

           b. Female athletes as role models – This sub-topic discusses the pressure society puts on female athletes and athletes in general to be role models.

IV.  Discrimination of female athletes in the US

           a. Equal pay between men and women athletes – This point will dive into how female athletes are paid less the male athletes.

          b. Differences in treatment between male and female athletes- This point will discuss the many factors which female athletes face, that male athlete does not face.

V.  Discrimination of female athletes on the International Stage

           a. International Olympic Committee (IOC) dress codes when it comes to females – This section will explore how the international Olympic committee discriminates against female athletes using dress code requirements.

          b. International Olympic Committee (IOC) treatment of women with higher testosterone- This point dives into the discrimination of some female athletes based their physical appearance and their testosterone levels.

References:

Castaldelli-Maia JM, Gallinaro JGDME, Falcão RS, et al. (2019). Mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes: a systematic review on cultural influencers and barriers to athletes seeking treatment. British Journal of Sports Medicine,707-721. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-100710.

             The authors from the British Journal of Sports Medicine are looking to identify the barriers to professional athletes who are seeking treatment for mental issues. The study design that was used is a systematic review design study. As a result of the study, it was found that there were four cultural influencers when it comes to seeking mental health treatment. The influencers in the article, the lack of acceptance of women as athletes, lower acceptability of mental health symptoms and disorders among non-white athletes, non-disclosure of religious beliefs, and higher dependence on economic benefits. The article works well with my thesis however, it highlights the barriers that tend to have people ignore mental health issues. This article interests me because it examines the importance of understanding both cultural and economic impediments. 

DE OLIVEIRA, T. A. P., DE OLIVEIRA, G. L., VALENTIN-SILVA, J. R., MARTINS DANTAS, E. H., & FERNANDES FILHO, J. (2018). Female athlete triad in high-performance sports: implications from performance and women health. Journal of Physical Education & Sport, 18(4), 2428–2439.

http://efsupit.ro/images/stories/decembrie2018/Art%20365.pdf.

 This article is written by the Journal of Physical Education & Sport. It was published on December 31, 2018. The article discusses the impact of Female Athlete Syndrome (FAT). FAT is a syndrome that is characterized by three symptoms: eating disorders, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. The journal review will discuss the physiological implications of training in female athletes, as well as the components of female athlete triad syndrome. This journal review will support my paper because, as my thesis states, FAT could be another possible cause or sign of a mental breakdown in professional women athletes

Kroll, J., & McMillian-Roberts, K. (2021). Developmental Outcomes of University Female Basketball Athletes as Participants in Peer Mentoring Groups. Journal of Athlete Development & Experience (JADE), 3(2), 116–127. https://doi.org/10.25035/jade.03.02.03.

             This article discusses the role of University female athletes who are part of peer mentor groups. The article describes a qualitative research method. It follows 16 NCAA Division III female athletes. The athletes were part of either a mentorship or group membership program, and the results are measured. The article fits with the aspect of my paper where I will be discussing how having a bigger social platform, that people can change issues.

McGuine, T. A., Biese, K. M., Petrovska, L., Hetzel, S. J., Reardon, C. L., Kliether limitedmes, S., Bell, D. R., Brooks, A., & Watson, A. M. (2021). Changes in the Health of Adolescent Athletes: A Comparison of Health Measures Collected Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Athletic Training, (Allen Press). 56(8), 836–844. https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article-pdf/56/8/836/2882555/i1062-6050-56-8-836.pdf.

             When Covid-19 became a worldwide pandemic, many schools across the globe were forced to shut down. This included the cancellation of all sports on the high school, college, and professional levels. The authors used a cross-sectional study for this research study. The population of the study is based out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During the Covid-19 pandemic, there were 2,343 University of Wisconsin athletes included in the study, of the 2,343 athletes 58% were women. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the study included 5,231 participants, 47% of which were women. This is related to my paper because this will provide a respectable measure of how the Covid-19 affected the female athletes’ mental health.

Mountjoy, M., Sundgot-Borgen, J., Burke, L., Ackerman, K. E., Blauwet, C., Constantini, N., Lebrun, C., Lundy, B., Melin, A., Meyer, N., Sherman, R., Tenforde, A. S., Torstveit, M. K., & Budgett, R. (2018). International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus Statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): 2018 Update. International Journal of Sports Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 28(4), 316–331. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0136.

             This article is an update of the original article back in 2014. The article was written by the International Olympic Committee. In the original article, they identified Relative energy deficiency in Sport (RED-S). As a syndrome characterized as having impairments of metabolic rate, limitations on menstrual function, bone health, immunity, protein synthesis, and cardiovascular health. The article matches my thesis and topic because all the women mentioned, all perform on the Olympic level, and the research on RED-S by the IOC affects the athletes will be talking about.