Although figure skating attracts several hundred thousand participants worldwide, there is little knowledge on young figure skaters’ health. However, studies including adult figure skaters indicate a high prevalence of overuse injuries and an increased risk of impaired mental health.
This dissertation has an interdisciplinary approach that intends to investigate young figure skaters’ health from a broad perspective. The project is supervised by experienced researchers from sports epidemiology, athlete abuse, orthopedics, child- and adolescent psychiatry, dance and parasport. All research is conducted independently but is supported by the Swedish Figure Skating Association.
The dissertation titled “Physical and mental health and exposure to psychological violence and other forms of abuse among Swedish figure skaters” aims to develop a basis for the planning of surveillance, safeguarding and health promotion programs in Swedish figure skating from which experiences can be conveyed to the international level. This dissertation investigates the health status among Swedish figure skaters and identifies determinants of injury and illness. It also aims to address the gaps in knowledge concerning mental and physical health, as well as psychological violence and other types of abuse of young skaters.
Sports and Exercise Medicine + Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Sport significantly contributes to positive health and well-being among those participating and has several long-term benefits, especially for children and adolescents. Sports have several benefits from a public health medicine perspective but also come with challenges when aiming to create inclusive sports environments and promote well-being in all age groups.
An athlete’s mental health and well-being are as equally important as their physical needs and physical health. An unhealthy sports culture with abuse or harassment threatens the health of all athletes and is particularly concerning when it affects children or adolescents, impacting athletes’ performance and well-being.
The negative impacts of sports injuries, mental health problems, and unhealthy sports cultures highlight the importance of preventing adverse health consequences, health promotion work, and the need to develop sustainable and safe sports environments for all athletes.
Sports medicine research in Sweden is fundamentally interdisciplinary. In Sweden, there is no medical speciality for sports medicine. Practitioners and researchers from a wide range of specialities (physiology, orthopaedics, neurology, gynaecology, psychiatry, paediatrics, etc.) and different professions (physicians, physiotherapists, psychologists, dietitians, etc.) contribute to the field. Many sports participants are children and adolescents, and child and adolescent psychiatric expertise is needed in the sports and exercise medicine team to continue creating safe sports environments.
