Significance of positive mental health in student athletes

Pages: 609-615
Divya Puri and Sarita Sood (P.G. Department of Psychology, University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir)

Sports have been considered beneficial for the better functioning of an individual. Indulgence in sports activities is rich and rewarding experience. However athletes who are involved in competitive sports as well as academics tend to experience greater amount of mental strain that has negative impact on their performance in the field. Therefore, it is important that focus should be given on mental health of student athletes. While efforts have been directed towards reducing the mental distress experienced by student athletes, there is comparatively lesser attention paid towards enhancing their mental health. The application of positive psychology in the field of sports has given due consideration to importance of positive mental health among athletes. Positive mental health has been found as one of the most important factor that facilitates the cognition and assists in effectively handling the multiple demands experienced by athletes. However, there is a dearth of literature with regard to significance of positive mental health among student athletes. The purpose of the present paper was to highlight the importance of positive mental health among student athletes.