Into the open: struggles of the female athlete

.....There are two parts to building mental health in athletes: Performance enhancement on field and well-being (tackling stress and disorders) off field, says Divya Jain, a sports psychologist from Fortis Healthcare. While journaling and visualization are practiced by both men and women, off field stressors may differ.

For instance, it is estimated that the prevalence of eating disorders among women athletes is 6% to 45%, while for men athletes it ranges from 0 to 19%, according to the IOC Mental Health in Elite Athletes Toolkit, issued this year. Also, anxiety and depression are more common in women (substance abuse is seen more in men).

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Bethany`s Notes: A great read about the differences in men`s and women`s sports and the different challenges that many women face....this story focuses on countries outside the US which gives perspective.