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. 2022 Jan 1;34(1):v34i1a12528.
doi: 10.17159/2078-516X/2022/v34i1a12528. eCollection 2022.

Sport during the COVID-19 bio-bubble: Wellness and opinions in South African elite football

K Bahdur  1 , L Pillay  2   3 , D Dell'oca  4
Affiliations

Sport during the COVID-19 bio-bubble: Wellness and opinions in South African elite football

K Bahdur et al. S Afr J Sports Med. .

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 imposed challenges on professional sport, with restrictions leading to the delay in the completion of the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL). Creating a biologically safe environment (BSE) provided a solution enabling the 2019/2020 season to be completed.

Objectives: Evaluating the impact that the BSE had on player wellness and what coping mechanisms were used in the BSE.

Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to PSL teams on the final weekend in the BSE. It consisted of three validated psychology questionnaires. An additional section focused on the impact and coping strategies during the PSL's BSE.

Results: A total of 37 completed questionnaires were analysed. General anxiety (4.7±4.2) and depression levels (4.8±3.9) were at an overall low. The health of the players, as well as separation from and concerns about family, were the greatest contributors to anxiety. Electronic communication with family and friends, social interactions with others in the BSE and time spent on self-reflection were important coping mechanisms for players. As time progressed, they adapted to the BSE.

Conclusion: The BSE did not have a negative impact on the anxiety and depression levels of the respondents, with a variety of coping mechanisms key helping them adapt in the BSE.

Keywords: biologically safe environment; coping mechanisms; isolation; mental toughness; sport.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest and source of funding: Dr Pillay was the PSL’s COVID-19 Chief Medical Officer during the BSE. The authors declare no source of funding.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Subjectively identified causes of anxiety for respondents (n=37) using an adapted questionnaire. A negative value indicates no anxiety experienced; a positive value indicates that anxiety was experienced.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Difficulty experienced by respondents (n=37) in adapting to the biologically safe environment (BSE) under living, training and playing/competition conditions using an adapted questionnaire.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Subjectively identified coping mechanisms and the extent of its effect for respondents (n=37) using an adapted questionnaire. Full column titles: Column 4, “Reading articles/blogs/news reports from other sports people or footballers in other countries”; Column 5, “Interactions with people in football who are not part of the BSE”; Column 6, “Interactions with people in football who are not in my team but subjected to the BSE”; Column 8, “Interactions with the team scientific and medical support structures”.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Identified methods to rest from football for respondents (n=37). Methods ranked from most to least effective.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Relationship between General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Mental Toughness Inventory -7 (MTI) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) based on each role played in the team. Team consists of analyst (n=2), coach (n=6), manager (n=4), medical personnel (n=2) and players (n=23). Axes represent score values for each questionnaire.
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