Effects of education on the relationship between sport and mental disorders for Japanese university students

Abstract

Gifu University, Japan, offers a half-year course called Sport and Prevention of Injuries. It includes 15 classes as part of general education for all students. It covers a wide range of areas, from exercise physiology to internal medicine and orthopedics, starting with general theory.

A class called Sport and Mental Disorders, taught by the author, was added to this course in 2011. This class has been conducted only once as of now.

In this class, the author raised important questions, presenting examples of people who had engaged in competitive sport and developed neuroses, and also explained how participation in competitive sport can be a risk factor for depression. This includes burnout syndrome which is caused by excessive commitment to sport activities. The author aimed at turning their interests toward these problems.

Responses to a questionnaire administered after the class showed that many students had paid attention to only the benefits of sport and had been unaware of the risks. As a result, on-target reports that were aimed at raising their awareness of the problems were submitted.

The author concludes that the content of this class should be further improved to enable students to realize the importance of prevention of sport-related injuries.