Read more about the article Exercise addiction – cases, possible indicators and open questions

Exercise addiction – cases, possible indicators and open questions

While addictive disorders involving substances are well researched, the field of behavioral addictions, including exercise addiction, is in its infancy. Although exercise addiction is not yet recognized as a psychiatric disorder, evidence for the burden it imposes has gained attention in the last decade. Characterised by a rigid exercise schedule, the prioritization of exercise over one’s own health, family and professional life, and mental wellbeing, and extreme distress when exercise is halted, the phenomenon shares many feature with substance use disorders.

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Read more about the article Editorial: Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Sportpsychiatrie und -psychotherapie SGSPP

Editorial: Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Sportpsychiatrie und -psychotherapie SGSPP

Die Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Sportpsychiatrie und -psychotherapie SGSPP wurde am 29. März 2019 in den Räumen der Privatklinik Wyss AG in Münchenbuchsee, Kanton Bern gegründet. Sie ist weltweit, nach der International Society of Sports Psychiatry ISSP, die zweite sportpsychiatrische und -psychotherapeutische Fachgesellschaft und zudem die erste nationale Fachgesellschaft dieser Art.

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Read more about the article Editorial: Swiss Society for Sports Psychiatry and ­Psychotherapy SSSPP

Editorial: Swiss Society for Sports Psychiatry and ­Psychotherapy SSSPP

The Swiss Society for Sports Psychiatry and Psychotherapy SSSPP was founded on the grounds of the Private Clinic Wyss in Muenchenbuchsee in the canton of Bern on March 29, 2019. Worldwide, it is the second sports psychiatry and psychotherapy society to be founded after the International Society of Sports Psychiatry ISSP and the first national institution of this sort.

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Read more about the article Psychiatric aspects of Traumatic Brain Injury in professional sports

Psychiatric aspects of Traumatic Brain Injury in professional sports

For nearly a century it has been hypothesized, that repetitive head trauma can lead to adverse neurological and psychiatric conditions [1]. Still, it took the discovery of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in a player of the National Football League to bring widespread public and scientific attention to this important topic on the intersection of neurology, psychiatry and sports medicine [2,3].

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Read more about the article The relationship between professional sports and suicidal behaviour

The relationship between professional sports and suicidal behaviour

Suicidal ideation and behaviours are still a highly stigmatized and neglected health problems in athletes. The suicides of well-known athletes have repeatedly brought the subject of mental health problems of top athletes into the public discourse. However, there is still a lack in psychiatric and psychotherapeutic care in high-performance sports.

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Read more about the article Use of psychotropic substances in elite sports

Use of psychotropic substances in elite sports

lite athletes may use psychotropic substances for recreational reasons, (perceived) performance enhancement or self-medication. Causes can hereby overlap. In substance use, recreational consumption aiming primarily at psychotropic effects is distinguished from performance-enhancing use (doping).

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Read more about the article Psychopharmacological Treatment in Athletes

Psychopharmacological Treatment in Athletes

Pharmacological interventions play a substantial role in the treatment of psychological complaints. However, while psychosocial and psychotherapeutic strategies are preferred for the treatment of mild to moderately severe symptoms, the use of drugs is often indicated for severe clinical manifestations [1,2].

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Read more about the article Sportpsychiatric aspects of parasports

Sportpsychiatric aspects of parasports

The Olympic Games tradition dates back to antiquity. And we learned the quote „mens sana in corpore sano est“ coming from that period. It became a paradigm in the western world, undermining any efforts of psychiatric relevance in high performance sports. With world renowned athletes himself as suffering from depression, things began to move; nowadays, sport psychiatry has moved from a theoretical option to an accepted necessity in elite sports [1].

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Read more about the article The PACINPAT study: physical activity counselling in in-patients with major depressive disorders

The PACINPAT study: physical activity counselling in in-patients with major depressive disorders

Major depressive Disorder (MDD) is a widespread and burdensome disease. People with MDD suffer from loss of interest and pleasure in activities that they would usually enjoy. In addition, they report anxiety, complex somatic pain syndromes, cognitive restrictions, loss of sexual interest, impaired sleep and social withdrawal. MDD is the leading cause for years lived with disability (YLD) in women and men and has a lifetime prevalence of 10-20 %.

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Read more about the article Muscle dysmorphia

Muscle dysmorphia

The current ideal of beauty consists of a strong shift towards physical activity and aims to develop a muscular, athletic physique. While the athletic ideal for women has been a product of recent years, the muscular ideal for men has been observed since the 1970s. Increasing pressure to achieve this muscular ideal is associated with both body dissatisfaction and a strong desire to increase muscularity. In extreme terms, the pursuit of a muscular body and its associated behaviours, such as strength training and dieting, may lead to the development of muscle dysmorphia.

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Read more about the article LGBTQI and sports – future implications for sports psychiatry

LGBTQI and sports – future implications for sports psychiatry

LGBTQI 1) people and especially transgender, non-binary and intersex people have a longstanding history of discrimination when it comes to sports. While the media focuses on the discussion whether transgender, non binary, and intersex people should be allowed to compete in elite amateur and professional sports at all, the majority of transgender, non-binary and intersex athletes are facing obstacles in everyday sports beyond cis and dyadic peoples’ imagination.

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Read more about the article Eating disorders in male elite athletes

Eating disorders in male elite athletes

Among elite athletes disordered eating (DE) behavior as well as eating disorders (ED) are one of the most common mental illnesses. According to Sundgot-Borgen et al. [1] DE can be illustrated by a continuum ranging from performance-oriented eating and exercise behaviors to subclinical EDs and clinical EDs such as Anorexia nervosa (AN) and Bulimia nervosa (BN) along with other medical complications and impairment of performance.

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Read more about the article Mental health in competitive sports in times of COVID-19

Mental health in competitive sports in times of COVID-19

Changes in public life, isolation, quarantine, and associated constraints within usual routine, as well as anxieties and concerns, are just some of many examples of psychiatric burdens caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (1). Not only the general population, but professional athletes in particular, are exposed to these challenges, as professional sports came to an abrupt halt upon occurrence of COVID-19.

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Read more about the article Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders in Elite Athletes

Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders in Elite Athletes

Anxiety is in principle a normal and (often) helpful emotion in humans and animals. However, anxiety can get excessive and be impairing and disabling. If anxiety is excessive in intensity and duration, occurs in actually non-dangerous situations, uncontrollable, and impairs actions, an anxiety disorder is typically diagnosed [2].

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Read more about the article Sports-psychiatry and psychotherapy for alpine sports

Sports-psychiatry and psychotherapy for alpine sports

Alpine sports are comprised of multiple disciplines like mountaineering, climbing, ice-climbing, high-altitude mountaineering, trekking, canyoning and ski-mountaineering. However, there is no standardised definition of alpine sports. Alpinism in a broader sense includes as well mountain science, mountain guiding and alpine rescue. Hence this article focuses on sport activities in an alpine environment and on the possible psychiatric impact thereof.

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