Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

The Evolution of Sport Psychiatry, Circa 2009

  • Leading Article
  • Published:
Sports Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Over the past three decades, the world of both amateur and professional sports has expanded greatly and become more complex. In part related to these changes— and relatively unknown to sports medicine practitioners — the field of sport psychiatry has steadily evolved and grown. This paper focuses on what these changes have been.

A sport psychiatrist is a physician-psychiatrist who diagnoses and treats problems, symptoms and/or disorders associated with an athlete, with their family/significant others, with their team, or with their sport, including spectators/fans. The primary aims of the specialty are to (i) optimize health, (ii) improve athletic performance, and (iii) manage psychiatric symptoms or disorders. The training includes medical training to provide knowledge and skills unique to physicians; psychiatric training to provide knowledge and skills inherent in that field, and training and/or experience in sport psychiatry to provide knowledge and skills about psychiatric aspects of sports.

The sport psychiatrist first makes an individual, family-systems and phenomenological diagnosis of the clinical situation. Based on this evaluation, he sets goals for not only the athlete, but also for significant others involved. He delivers treatment based on the psychiatric disorder or problem using a combination of medication, psychotherapy or self-help group interventions plus strategies targeted to specific sport performance issues. Evolution of the International Society of Sport Psychiatry as well as the field, including incorporation into school and professional team sports, is described along with a ‘typical day’ for a sport psychiatrist. Case examples, a training curriculum and core literature are included.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Table I

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Begel D. An overview of sport psychiatry. Am J Psychiatry 1992; 49: 606–14

    Google Scholar 

  2. Begel D, Burton R. editors. Sport psychiatry: theory and practice. New York City: WW Norton & Co., 2000

    Google Scholar 

  3. Glick ID, Horsfall JL. Psychiatric conditions in sports: diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life. Physician Sportsmed 2001; 29: 45–55

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kamm RL. The sport psychiatry examination. In: Begel D, Burton RW, editors. Sport psychiatry: theory and practice. New York: Norton, 2000: 159–90

    Google Scholar 

  5. Stryer HK, Tofler JR, Lapchick R. A developmental overview of child and youth sports in society. Tofler JR, editor. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 1998; 7: 6997-724, vii

    Google Scholar 

  6. Adkins D. Exercise, athletic participation, and mental health: when it works and when it doesn’t. Paper presentedas part of symposium 26. American Psychiatric Association Annual Convention; 2001 May 7; New Orleans (LA)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kamm RL. Group dynamics and athletic success. Presented at the American Group Psycho therapy Association’s Annual Meeting; 2000 Feb 18; Los Angeles (CA)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed., text revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000

  9. Tofler IR, Stryer BK, Micheli LJ, et al. Physical and emotional problems of elite female gymnasts. New Engl J Med 1996; 335: 281–3

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Nicholi A. Psychiatric correlation in professional football. New Engl J Med 1996; 31: 1095–100

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bogacki DF, Newmark TS. A psychiatric curriculum directed toward sport psychiatry. Camden (NJ): Cooper University Hospital, 2007

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kamm RL, Calhoun J, Tofler I. When we were kings. Media session at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Convention; 1998 Jun 2; Toronto (ON)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kamm RL, Tofler I. Remember the Titans. Media session at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Convention; 2002 May 22; Philadelphia (PA)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Mitchell GJ. Report to the Commissioner of baseball of an independent investigation into the illegal use of steroids and other performance enhancing substances by players inmajor league baseball. New York: Office of the Commissioner of Baseball; 2007 Dec 13

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are indebted to Dan Begel, MD for helpful comments on an earlier draft. No funding was received for this article, and the authors have no conflicts of interest that are directly related to the content of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ira D. Glick.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Glick, I.D., Kamm, R. & Morse, E. The Evolution of Sport Psychiatry, Circa 2009. Sports Med 39, 607–613 (2009). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200939080-00001

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200939080-00001

Keywords

Navigation