Aim To support the health of mothers raising children, this study held yoga classes and examined the influence of practicing yoga on participants’ mental health, including the relation between yoga and the mother’s feelings toward child-rearing.

Method A questionnaire was administered to 33 healthy women raising infants, all of whom had participated in the yoga classes. A child-rearing emotions scale assessment, as well as a pre- and post-yoga POMS assessment of feelings and physical complaints（visual analog scale）was carried out.

Results After a 60-minute yoga class, a significant decrease in the measurement of POMS values for “tension/unease,” “depression,” “anger/animosity,” “fatigue,” and “confusion,” as well as a significant increase in “vigor were observed.” Complaints about physical symptoms including “feeling fatigued,” “stiff shoulders,” “lower back pain,” “headaches/heavy-headedness,” and “bodily sluggishness” significantly decreased. The study also found that the greater the mother’s negative feelings toward child-rearing, the greater the consequent testimony of the positive effects the yoga class had on their feelings.

Conclusion The study of the immediate effects of yoga practice on child-rearing mothers in this investigation suggests that yoga is effective for alleviating psychological and physical stress associated with child-rearing.

A questionnaire-based survey focusing on alcohol consumption and gambling was conducted to elucidate the addictions of athletes and those around them, and obtain basic data needed to take steps to address them. The subjects were 4,674 athletes and associates such as staff members, and items included in the survey were basic attributes, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), status of alcohol consumption and gambling by the athletes’ associates, adolescent risk behavior orientation scale, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). Responses were obtained from 3,278 individuals (response rate, 70.1 %; 2,344 men and 932 women), including 2,729 athletes and 475 staff members. Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of problem drinking was increased by the presence of associates who drink, male gender, and associates who pushed the athletes to drink. The risk of a gambling problem was increased by the presence of an associate with gambling debt, being invited to gamble, gambling to obtain money, gambling for enjoyment, and gambling to escape from a gambling problem. The findings indicated a need for increased awareness on the part of all involved, including associates.

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the definition of yips, its symptoms and how it is assessed, and propose a new operational definition. The study found that the description of yips symptoms is similar to that of competitive anxiety and dystonia. However, there is no unified definition of yips or means of assessment, which may be an obstacle to the establishment of a standardized intervention method. In this study, we propose an operational definition of yips, including elements of competitive anxiety and dystonia, referencing the diagnostic criteria of anxiety disorder in DSM-5. In the future, it is necessary to include discussions in each area so as to create a standard operational definition for yips and establish comprehensive means of support for athletes suffering from yips.

The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (INAS) is one of the organizations for competitive sports for individuals with intellectual impairments and a member of International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The number of athletes registered in the INAS is approximately 6,000, being far smaller than that of the Special Olympics (5 million). The INAS has launched a effort to make new categories that will enable more disabled athletes to participate. The INAS has also examined sports eligibility (i.e., the impact of intellectual impairments on sports performance) with the goal of more intellectual impairments ‘competitions, other than track and field, swimming, and table tennis, being held at the Paralympics. These two efforts will contribute the prevalence of competitive sports for individuals with intellectual impairments.