ABSTRACT
Elite athletes in the sub-Saharan region, like other parts of the international community compete for gold at major international games. However, studies indicate that even though they compete pound for pound with their international counterparts, sub-Saharan elite athletes struggle to have access to basic social services and health care. The complexity of competing for gold and navigating poor athlete support services has become an additional stressor and can certainly influence athletes’ mental health. The purpose of this chapter is to share contextual knowledge and the most effective interventions to addressing mental health issues affecting elite athletes in the sub-Saharan region. The chapter first presents general mental health issues affecting elite athletes’ in the sub-Saharan Africa region. This section shares the challenges of dealing with lack of expertise to deal with mental health issues. Secondly, the chapter presents socio-cultural and spiritual issues in sub-Saharan sports. Lastly, the chapter shares interventions for mental health issues in sub-Saharan elite sport, and summary and recommendations. The research team reviewed academic literature, used field notes from consultations with athletes, and consulted newspaper reports.
