Media's Effect on Athletes' Mental Health

Tammy Ng; Howard Sanders; Sarah Merrill; Marcia Faustin

doi:10.1016/j.csm.2023.06.022

Media's Effect on Athletes' Mental Health

Clin Sports Med. 2024 Jan;43(1):187-198. doi: 10.1016/j.csm.2023.06.022. Epub 2023 Aug 9.

Authors

Tammy Ng¹, Howard Sanders¹, Sarah Merrill², Marcia Faustin³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, 2516 Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
² Department of Family Medicine, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, 402 Dickinson Street, San Diego, CA 92103, USA.
³ Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, 3301 C Street, Suite 1600, Sacramento, CA 95816, USA; Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, 3301 C Street, Suite 1600, Sacramento, CA 95816, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 37949511
DOI: 10.1016/j.csm.2023.06.022

Abstract

This article explores the athlete's relationship with both traditional and social (digital) media and describes athletes' media obligations and the pressures of media attention. It explains the difference in the representation of diverse groups, and the potential positive and negative outcomes of the media on an athlete's mental health. The article will review the emergence of social media, its limitless reach, and ways in which it diverges from traditional media coverage of athletic performance. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of ways that athletes' multidsciplinary medical teams may become advocates for healthy and supportive interactions between athletes and media.

Keywords: Athletes; Diversity; Females; Mental health; Social media; Traditional media.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Athletes / psychology
Athletic Performance*
Humans
Mental Health*