ABSTRACT

This meta-study systematically appraises and synthesizes research into athletes’ experiences of mental illness. Our critical review of 37 studies conformed to the meta-study structure of meta-theory, meta-method, and meta-data analysis. We also produced a meta-synthesis of findings to deliver new insights into athlete mental illness. Athlete accounts of mental illness pertained to experience of the following: depression, eating disorders, gambling addiction and substance-related disorders (alcohol and drugs). Following a critical interrogation of original articles’ theory, method, and findings, we noted a general lack of methodological coherence (congruence between philosophical stance, theoretical position, and methodology). Through the process of a thematic synthesis, we developed 4 new themes: origins of certainty and ambiguity, a gradual sense of decline, mental illness as a threat to identity, and constructing recovery stories. Athletes drew upon dominant illness discourses to construct mental illness and recovery experiences. Our results provide us with an understanding of how mental illness and recovery were experienced within an elite sport involvement. We recommend future research embraces more diverse methodologies and authors ensure a strong alignment between guiding philosophies and methodological approach.

摘要

这项元研究系统地评估和综合了对运动员精神疾病经历的研究。我们对 37 项研究的批判性审查符合元理论、元方法和元数据分析的元研究结构。我们还对研究结果进行了元综合，以提供对运动员精神疾病的新见解。运动员对精神疾病的描述与以下经历有关：抑郁、饮食失调、赌博成瘾和物质相关疾病（酒精和毒品）。在对原始文章的理论、方法和发现进行批判性审问后，我们注意到普遍缺乏方法论的连贯性（哲学立场、理论立场和方法论之间的一致性）。通过主题综合的过程，我们开发了 4 个新主题：确定性和模糊性的起源，逐渐衰退的感觉，精神疾病对身份的威胁，以及构建康复故事。运动员利用显性疾病话语来构建精神疾病和康复体验。我们的结果让我们了解了在精英运动参与中如何经历精神疾病和康复。我们建议未来的研究采用更多样化的方法论，作者确保指导思想和方法论之间有很强的一致性。