Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Among Athletes

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Among Athletes presents readers with a contextualized analysis of the health issues of a vulnerable population—athletes. The competitive nature of sports exposes athletes to undue emotional and physical pressures, leading some to resort to the use of drugs such as narcotics, illegal drugs, and alcohol and suffer severe emotional, social, or physical harm. This text effectively marries existing research, direct observation of athletes, and interviews with key stakeholders in public health and sporting organizations to provide students with critical information regarding athletes, mental health, and substance use disorders.

The opening chapter provides an overview of the prevalence of substance abuse in various sports ranging from cycling to athletics, boxing to weightlifting. It details the theoretical underpinnings for substance abuse and mental health among athletes and discusses unique historical case studies. Additional chapters examine the intersection of race, gender, and nationality in sports; challenges experience by athletes; NCAA response to drug use among collegiate athletes; and the treatment process when working with athletes who misuse drugs. Students consider injuries as the ultimate gateway drug, ethics in sports, drug use by sport subculture, and substance misuse as a major educational gap in social work education. The final chapter discusses future challenges for athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs.