Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
International Journal of Disabilities Sports and Health Sciences, cilt.3, sa.2, ss.111-120, 2020 (Scopus)
Purpose: Social distance and isolation measures have been taken to minimize the spread rate of COVİD-19 and within these measures, all sports leaques and toumaments have been suspended or canceled. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the training continuity and mental health of athletes during the COVİD-19 isolation process and to determine whether they are physically and mentally ready for the next season competition. Methods: 89 athletes, 17.7±2.72 years old, belonging to different sports branches were included in the study. The training time and mental health of athletes before and after isolation were questioned through the online questionnaire platform. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Epidemiologycal Research Center Depression Scale (CES-D) were applied to assess the mental status. Participants were asked questions about their thoughts on sports performances and grouped according to their answers and their anxiety and depression levels were compared. Results: It was observed that most of the athletes had a decrease in the training time compared to before isolation. CES-D scores of athletes who thought that their sports performance decreased during the isolation process and were not ready to return to the matches were higher than athletes who did not think (p<0.01). GAD-7 and CES-D scores of athletes who were worried about the competitions were higher than other athletes ((p<0.01). Conclusion: The results showed that athletes needed physical and psychological support by sports professionals, both during the isolation process and before returning to sports competitions.