The Hidden Opponent’s Post

The Iron Butterfly Launches a First-Ever Website to Advance Mental Health in Women's Sports — PRBuzz.co — The Initiative, Launched in Conjunction with #Mental #Health #Awareness #Month Addresses a Glaring #Need for Mental Health #Education and #Dialogue for #Athletes Who Identify as Women BOISE, #Idaho May #28 #2024 The #Iron #Butterfly an #organization #dedicated to advancing mental health in #womens #sports launched a first-of-its-kind #website that aggregates #key resources to #learn more about – and to #engage in dialogue regarding – the #unique pressures that #women athletes encounter. According to a December #2023 #NCAA report on student-athlete mental health, 35 percent of women's sports participants feel mentally exhausted, and 29 percent feel overwhelming anxiety. More than four in ten feel overwhelmed by all they have to do, and almost one in ten say they feel so depressed it is difficult to function. In every case – across Division I, II and III – the percentages are higher in women's sports versus men's sports. "Female athletes need a supportive space where they can connect and share their experiences, empowering them to overcome these challenges and excel both on and off the field." "Navigating the competitive sports environment is particularly challenging for female athletes, who must contend with intense pressures, external expectations and unique stressors," said Dr. Hillary Cauthen, PsyD, CMPC, AASP member and owner of Texas Optimal Performance & Psychological Services. "As a clinical sport psychologist, I understand how balancing performance demands with personal well-being often leaves little room for addressing mental health. Female athletes need a supportive space where they can connect and share their experiences, empowering them to overcome these challenges and excel both on and off the field." "Taking part in sports has been one of the of the greatest joys in my life because it gives you so many things you have to overcome," said Sydney Garber, founder and president of The Iron Butterfly. "I kicked off this initiative to raise awareness about some of the specific mental health obstacles that come into play as a participant in women's sports, and to give people like me a place where they can come together and share stories, learn, and feel supported by others who are taking part in a similar journey." The launch of The Iron Butterfly website

The Iron Butterfly Launches a First-Ever Website to Advance Mental Health in Women's Sports — MediaContacts.co — The Initiative, Launched in Conjunction with #Mental #Health #Awareness #Month Addresses a Glaring #Need for Mental Health #Education and #Dialogue for #Athletes Who Identify as Women BOISE, #Idaho May #28 #2024 The #Iron #Butterfly an #organization #dedicated to advancing mental health in #womens #sports launched a first-of-its-kind #website that aggregates #key resources to #learn more about – and to #engage in dialogue regarding – the #unique pressures that #women athletes encounter. According to a December #2023 #NCAA report on student-athlete mental health, 35 percent of women's sports participants feel mentally exhausted, and 29 percent feel overwhelming anxiety. More than four in ten feel overwhelmed by all they have to do, and almost one in ten say they feel so depressed it is difficult to function. In every case – across Division I, II and III – the percentages are higher in women's sports versus men's sports. "Female athletes need a supportive space where they can connect and share their experiences, empowering them to overcome these challenges and excel both on and off the field." "Navigating the competitive sports environment is particularly challenging for female athletes, who must contend with intense pressures, external expectations and unique stressors," said Dr. Hillary Cauthen, PsyD, CMPC, AASP member and owner of Texas Optimal Performance & Psychological Services. "As a clinical sport psychologist, I understand how balancing performance demands with personal well-being often leaves little room for addressing mental health. Female athletes need a supportive space where they can connect and share their experiences, empowering them to overcome these challenges and excel both on and off the field." "Taking part in sports has been one of the of the greatest joys in my life because it gives you so many things you have to overcome," said Sydney Garber, founder and president of The Iron Butterfly. "I kicked off this initiative to raise awareness about some of the specific mental health obstacles that come into play as a participant in women's sports, and to give people like me a place where they can come together and share stories, learn, and feel supported by others who are taking part in a similar journey." The launch of The Iron Butterfly website

This amazing new report from Women's Sports Foundation shows the incredible impact of sport in promoting girls' mental health. 💡 Mental health disorders are 1.5 to 2.5 times lower for girls who play sports vs those who never played. ❤️ Girls who play sports report 1.5 times higher levels of meaning and purpose compared to those who never played.

Sports Critical to Promoting Girls' Mental Health A new study by the Women's Sports Foundation – "Thriving Through Sport: The Transformative Impact onGirls' Mental Health" – reveals sport participation positively impacts depression, anxiety, and... Read more on Siliconeer.

Congrats to Tori Carter for the incredible work leading our recent review of literature on mental health in sport officials (involving researchers from Canada and the UK and guided by David Hancock). Special contribution by Murray Grant who surveyed almost 1000 documents from governing sport body websites for 60 sports across the world resulting in little to no indications of mental health policy. Main summary points of studies (from different sports): 🧠 😖 Burnout – 70% of officials report moderate/high levels; Less-experienced officials and those at amateur levels report higher levels; verbal and physical abuse can lead to emotional exhaustion and cynicism; burnout is linked to intentions to quit and those married can be less susceptible to burnout. 🧠 😁 Psychological well-being – Officials who are male, older that 50 years old, have more officiating experience, or are in a committed relationship exhibit greater self-reported well-being. Negative interactions with players and coaches, having less social support, and feeling less authentic engagement in the officiating role are linked to lower well-being. 🧠 😣 Anxiety – Elite/professional officials experience higher anxiety levels influencing ML. Crowd noise and official’s confidence levels arise more often as influencing factors. 🧠 💡 Emotional intelligence (EI) – Higher EI protects officials from mental health challenges. EI linked to better coping skills and acts as a protective factor to burnout for officials.    🧠 📚 Mental health literacy (MHL) – Officials have poorer MHL than athletes; Female officials have greater MHL to males. MHL related to greater stigma of mental health challenges within one's officiating setting. Lower MHL is suggested to be a barrier in the initiation of help-seeking actions by officials to seek aid from within the officiating community to deal with MH challenges. 🧠 🙋♀️ Female sport officials – Report experiencing certain gendered aggressions, being sexually objectified, and unrealistic expectations that all contribute to MH. Male dominated sporting environments can maintain cultures of sexist attitudes and derogatory language that effect MH negatively. More has to be done. Recommendations in the paper expand on this idea and is below 👇 Duncan Mascarenhas Edinburgh Napier University

It's Time for Change: Talented Young Athletes Call for Greater Mental Health and Wellbeing Support. My Rising Star Award at the BWC Power of Inspiration Ceremony was awarded in part for my role and commitment to creating lasting change for Women and Girls in elite level sports. This commitment aligns with the recent release of SportsAid's Mental Health and Wellbeing Survey findings, shedding light on unique challenges encountered by young female athletes. From the pressures of performance to the complexities of balancing academic commitments, this research paints a vivid picture of the challenges they navigate on a daily basis and the impact this has on their day-to-day lives. Key findings from the SportsAid survey highlighting the need for enhanced mental health and wellbeing support in sports: 💜 Nearly half of young athletes report that anxiety affects their performance, with 26% finding it too difficult to manage at times. 💜 9 out of 10 athletes would find it useful to have access to more mental health resources, tools and sessions with the aim of helping them with their day-to-day lives. 💜 Two thirds of female athletes experience day-to-day anxiety, compared to just over half of male athletes, with the main factors being sporting performance, body image and friendships. 💜 Two thirds of athletes feel their sporting performance has been the main cause of anxiety in their day-to-day lives, alongside school/exams (53%) and money/cost of living (33%). 💜 23% of athletes who rate their mental health as 'poor' have no access to mental health services - they are also less likely to ask for help than those who rated their mental health as 'good'. Reflecting on the findings of this survey, it becomes increasingly clear that the mental health and wellbeing of young athletes, especially females, requires ongoing attention and action. The statistics paint a clear picture of the challenges they face, from the effects of anxiety on performance to the intricate balance required between sports, academics, and personal life. By prioritising mental health and wellbeing initiatives, we can create an environment where talented athletes can thrive, not just as competitors but as resilient women and girls. Together, let's champion the cause of mental health and wellbeing support for our young athletes, ensuring they have the resources and guidance they need to flourish both on and off the field. It's time for change, and it begins with us. 💜 #SupportOurAthletes #MentalHealthMatters #WellbeingInSports

During #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth we're reminded of the power of sports: findings from the Women's Sports Foundation showed that girls who engage in sports are 1.5 to 2.5 times less likely to experience mental health disorders than those who don't. And imagine what's possible when these young women pair the mental health benefits of playing with the leadership skills learned through coaching. Powerful indeed.

Today, WSF released our newest research report “Thriving Through Sport,” which shows that girls who participate in sports have lower levels of depression and anxiety symptoms than girls who never played. Mental Health is complex; this report shines a light on the power of sports - in supportive and inclusive settings - to help bolster girls’ mental health. Click the link below to learn more about this important new research and how sport participation helps girls thrive both on and off the field of play. #ThrivingThroughSport #WSF50 https://lnkd.in/g3iFNZkx

Run, 🏃🏾♀️👟👟 don't walk, to check out the Women's Sports Foundation 's new report "Thriving Through Sport"! From thier #research findings: ⭐️Sports Participation Can Lower #Depression and #Anxiety⭐️ 💫#Mental #health disorders are 5 to 2.5 times lower for girls who play #sports vs those who never played. 💫 29% of girls who never played sports have moderate-to-high levels of depression symptoms vs. 17% of girls who currently #play. 💫 21% of #girls who never played sports have moderate-to-high levels of anxiety symptoms vs. 11% of girls who currently play. 💫 In sport settings that focus on #effort, #improvement, and #teamwork, depression symptoms are significantly lower (3%) vs. settings where #winning is the main goal and success is defined by ability compared to others (24.7%.) 💫 In sport settings where girls have more “voice and #choice” over #goals and activities, depression symptoms are significantly lower (4%) vs. settings where they don’t have that #opportunity (35.1%.) Thank you WSF for all you do to improve the lives and mental health of young girls! 🙌🏾