Advanced training "Basics of Mental Health in Competitive Sports

Advanced training "Basics of Mental Health in Competitive Sports

The physical health of athletes in competitive sports has been taken seriously for years and is very well supported by qualified sports medicine and physiotherapy measures. In contrast, mental health remains without special qualified care. Without this, many especially young and talented athletes risk their health and careers, spectators can only see part of their outstanding athletic performance, and clubs suffer considerable financial losses every year. However, increasing scientific publications and interviews of highly successful athletes reveal that mental training alone is not enough to maintain mental health. In order to achieve this goal in the long term, supplementary sport psychiatric knowledge is needed- in addition to the important sport psychology techniques- from all professional groups involved in competitive sport.

The German Society for Sports Psychiatry and Psychotherapy has set itself the goal of improving the maintenance of mental health in competitive sports. This is the purpose of this advanced training for professional groups working in competitive sports and all athletes, consultants and sports managers interested. The participants should be enabled to recognize sport-specific stresses and risk constellations for mental health and to initiate suitable sport psychiatric and psychotherapeutic measures in time. This could prevent many career interruptions, save many athletes from psychological suffering, and preserve many athletes for the clubs.

All professional groups working in competitive sports, such as sports physicians, sports psychologists, physiotherapists, mental coaches, sports therapists, consultants and sports officials, as well as athletes themselves, are eligible for the training measure. In particular, we want to encourage athletes to take more responsibility for their own mental health. Furthermore, specialists in psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, psychotherapeutic medicine as well as medical and psychological psychotherapists are admitted for this advanced training. This part of the advanced training represents the beginning of a three-part curriculum for sports psychiatry and psychotherapy for participants working in the medical and therapeutic field.

The advanced training presented here includes a total of 50 hours. These consist of 40 hours of participation in the offered classroom sessions and 10 hours of literature study. The events are expected to take place over three weekends, beginning in December 2021 at the Olympiamuseum in Cologne.

After participation in the training event, the DGSPP awards the certificate "Fundamentals of Mental Health in Competitive Sports". As we attach particular importance to the personal and interdisciplinary exchange of experiences, we aim to limit the number of participants to 14 to 20.

The cost of participation is 1800,00 Euro and includes the workshops, teaching materials and a small catering. For members of the DGSPP the cost is 1450 EUR with a discount of 350 EUR.

Expected dates for three weekends are 10. and 11.12.2021, 4., 5., and 6.3.2022 and 10. and 11.06.2022.

Structure and contents of the training

A. GENERAL TASKS OF SPORT PSYCHIATRY IN PERFORMANCE SPORTS (12 hours, Fri/Sat, all participants)

1. Mental health in competitive sports

2. Athlete biographies, personality, career and psychodynamics

3. Mental health and bio-psycho-social model

4. Sports psychiatry as a medical-scientific focus

B.1 THE SYSTEM OF PERFORMANCE SPORTS (16 hours, Fri-Sun, medical and psychotherapeutic professions).

1. Organizations and structures in competitive sports

2. Basics of sports medicine and sports physiology

3. Athlete interviews and athlete discussions. Psychodynamics and discussion

4. Basics of training theory and performance diagnostics

5. Basics of sports psychology and mental training

B.2 BASICS OF PSYCHIC DISEASES (16 hours, Fri-Sun, professions without medical or psychotherapeutic qualification)

1. Specialization: psychiatry, psychosomatics, psychology, psychotherapy, neurology

2. Organizations and structures in health care

3. Athlete interviews and athlete talks

4. Mental illness in competitive sports

5. Anamnesis, diagnostics

6. Methods in the treatment of mental illnesses

C. SPECIAL TASKS OF SPORT PSYCHIATRY IN PERFORMANCE SPORTS (12 hours, Fri/Sat, all participants).

1. Most frequent mental disorders and sport-specific manifestations

2. Specifics of diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

3. Psycho-pharmacotherapy, doping and performance enhancing substances.

4. Sports psychiatry as part of the overall medical care in competitive sports

To get more information about booking, sign up with your email address here. We will contact you with more details about the training.