Page 12 - DURHAM CITIZEN - AUGUST 4TH 2021

12 durhamcitizen.ca August 4, 2021

HEALTH LIFESTYLE “ “Mental health has a stigma that is tied into weakness
&
and is absolutely the antithesis of what athletes
want to portray. ” (Dr. Thelma Dye Holmes)

Is the stigma of mental health Simone Biles

increased for athletes?

“Mental health has a physically healthy individuals. Top medical professionals when of the assumption that athletes “hidden” head injuries from
elite athletes are are idealised diagnosing and treating athletes should be mentally healthy in a bid contact sports may leave athletes
stigma that is tied into
within the media, often subjected (Schwenk, 2000). Issues that stand to increase awareness and remove with a predisposition to developing
weakness and is to a large fan base, potentially out include: the stigma surrounding the mental depression or post-traumatic stress
absolutely the antithesis giving the perception that they are 1. Despite the known beneficial health of athletes. disorder. In addition, other
of what athletes want to immune to such problems. effects of exercise on mental They pointed out the following p h y s i c a l i n j u r i e s , b a d
portray. ” Athletes often do not seek help i l l n e s s , a t h l e t e s a r e s t i l l facts: performances, issues with
from mental health services or fail susceptible, although, perhaps at a * Mental illness is very likely as t e a m m a t e s o r c o a c h e s ,
(Dr. Thelma Dye Holmes)
to fully participate once they have lower prevalence than the general common in athletes as in the overtraining, aging and of course
begun. One of the reasons for this population general population the dreaded retirement, may leave
When an athlete experiences disconnect is stigma, namely, to 2. Athletes may be vulnerable to * It is not a sign of weakness and the athlete vulnerable to the
physical injury, there is often a avoid the label of mental illness misdiagnosis of mental illness should be taken as seriously as a development of mental health
team of medical personnel and the harm that this often brings, than are non-athletes, particularly physical injury problems.
including doctors, trainers and for example, the potential with problems that are related to * Getting help will most likely, Athletes should not feel pressured
physiotherapists employed to diminishing of self-esteem athletic training and may be improve, not damage one’s self- into masking the problem; instead,
ensure a speedy recovery. However, (Corrigan, 2004). Mental health viewed from a more narrow confidence the “gladiator barrier” that they
when an athlete experiences a stigma is still an ongoing issue in physiological perspective rather * Why are athletes vulnerable to often possess should be dropped,
mental health issue, the treatment society; however, this may be than a broader bio-psychological mental health issues? as this remains the primary barrier
process is often not quite as similar. heightened even more in athletes perspective. Athletes may be vulnerable to for seeking treatment.
Mental illness in sport is often who may fear the loss of their role 3. The similarities between developing mental health issues The idea that seeking help for
overlooked and an athlete may be model status. “depression” as a psychiatric for a number of reasons. First of all, mental health problems makes the
left with feelings of loneliness and disease, and “overtraining” as a the stress and pressures of athlete appear ‘weak’ needs to be
abandonment, unsure of where to S t i g m a o n b e h a l f o f th e consequence of continuous competing on a daily or weekly addressed from both a general
turn. professionals intense athletic training are basis may leave the athlete with the media perspective and from the
Many assume that mental health remarkable. potential to develop feelings of perspective of the athlete
issues in athletes are rare, as they There also appears to be a T h e A m e r i c a n Ps yc h i a t r i c depression or anxiety. themselves.
are often perceived to be extremely stigmatisation on behalf of Association has noted the dangers There is also reason to believe that Written by Emma Vickers

COVID 19 legacy: The mask will

become a wardrobe staple

Covid-19 has moved like “Wearing a mask may be even stranger to us
wildfire — at first seemingly than wearing a Speedo at the beach,” says
far away, then un-nervingly Brandon Brown, an epidemiologist and
close — as it has ripped across associate professor at UC Riverside.
the world in a few months, “It’s just not the norm, so there is
leaving tens of thousands dead, judgment, but there is nothing
economies flattened, and the wrong with it.”
futures of hundreds of millions of In China and other nations,
people in limbo. masks are now part of DO COUPLES LIE ABOUT
As many of us shelter in place with no everyday life. “Asian
end in sight, it’s only human for us to countries have faced
imagine how life will resume, even if the such epidemics and MONEY TO EACH OTHER?
unfamiliar and unpredictable behaviour of pandemics more in the
the virus has made it difficult to know with past,” he says, including SARS
any certainty. outbreak of 2002-2004, which • 15% of married people have a bank account that they keep hidden
The longer the global effort to stymie the still looms large in the public from their partner. And 1-in-10 people say they’ve lied to their
pandemic through lockdown continues, however, imagination in China and Hong Kong. partner about how much they earn. And another 10% lie about how
the less likely we’ll reemerge into a world we These nations have long understood face much they spend. Experts say a lot of couples hide money because
recognize. Already, some things are clear: Health care, coverings as a public health resource and a tool they want to spend without being accountable to their spouse. And
stretched to horrifying extremes in afflicted cities, for cultivating national unity. It’s routine, for example, people lie about what they spend to avoid arguments. But it’s going
must change, and it will. The world’s Instagram-fueled to see people donning masks on the streets of Beijing, to come out at some point, and 30% of people surveyed said they
love affair with travel will cool. Many will keep stashes Seoul, or Taipei as they take to the streets or socialize felt that hiding purchases or bank accounts was financial infidelity,
of personal protective equipment at the ready; many with friends, because someone with a cough will likely and they considered that as harmful as having an affair.
more will lose faith in governments to assist us, much be hesitant to put their neighbours in jeopardy. • Here’s another money truth, which shows just how powerful a
less protect us. “It does seem that in general, thinking of and motivator it is: A lot of people admit, they would marry someone
To begin to envision the legacy of this Covid-19: protecting others is more of a norm in some countries for their money. To be exact, more than half of all men and women
The mask will become a wardrobe staple other than our own,” Brown says. say they’d marry someone they were only “slightly attracted to,” as
All over the world, masks are more readily associated But public sentiment on the issue of masks is evolving. long as the person had money. Psychologist Dr. Elizabeth
with crime than public health. We’re a world of mask Just as the US mobilizes to provide front-line workers Lombardo says this makes sense because a lot of people think
skeptics: Several parts of America, states have enacted with personal protective equipment amid mass having more money means they’ll have more security. But over
anti-mask laws throughout history as a means of shortages, brands are also swooping in to meet a surge time, Dr. Lombardo says money will not make up for deep flaws in a
quelling protest and stifling dissent. But the in demand for masks that gel with modern consumer relationship and a lack of love.
immediacy of the pandemic — the horror stories of tastes. Cloth masks designed and marketed by Los • Another money issue couples have: Their happiness is influenced
bodies stacked up in refrigerated trucks, the Angeles Apparel and Christian Siriano are reflections by how much money they make. A Cornell University study found
overwhelmed hospitals, and the atmosphere of fear of this broader shift in the cultural climate. Mega- that, in general, husbands who earn more money than their wives
and paranoia created in its wake — will force influencers like Kim Kardashian and Bella Hadid have are more satisfied in their relationship than men who earn the
Westerners to reconsider old stigmas associated with also endorsed them with pandemic-era selfies, lending same, or less, than their partners. But when women are the primary
masks for the sake of public health. masks a stamp of pop-culture-approved normalcy. breadwinner, they tend to be less satisfied with their relationship.
The mask aversion is compounded by the Though the science behind the effectiveness of masks Researchers say this comes from our deep-rooted idea of
longstanding epidemic of police violence against is far from exact, living through the pandemic will “traditional” gender roles.
people of colour, some of whom understandably fear undeniably alter Western attitudes about them, as well But know this: You’ve gotta get to the heart of your money issues
the consequences of purchasing essential goods while as government policy. and talk about them. Because a study at Utah State University
cloaked in a prophylactic bandana. Even now, it’s easy And as the memory of Covid-19 becomes permanently found that couples who disagree about financial matters once a
for a mask to evoke dastardly connotations or be enmeshed with the national psyche, masks are likely to week are 30% more likely to divorce.
mistaken for a disguise. become a fixture of our post-pandemic world.