Sport and exercise medicine (SEM) has gained recognition as a clinical specialty in South Africa, laying the foundation for the emergence of sport and exercise psychiatry (SEP) as a vital complementary discipline supporting the biopsychosocial approach to medical care for athletic populations. The mental health of athletes has been identified internationally as an area for prioritisation, supported by new clinical tools and resources.1 In addition, exercise is increasingly recognised as a form of mental health medicine for athletes and non-athletes.2 3 This editorial outlines the approach to developing SEP in South Africa and its applicability to similar settings globally. Mental health conditions are common in competitive sports, carrying important considerations for overall athlete health and performance.4 SEP focuses on preventing, diagnosing and treating these conditions in both elite and recreational athletes.5 Another priority for SEP is the use of exercise as an intervention for mental health conditions in general.5 The preventative role of exercise for physical health is well known; however, a meta-analysis of Cochrane systematic reviews by Posadzki et al has, in fact, found larger effect sizes for exercise on mental health outcomes.6 Despite this, exercise is often overlooked as a potential preventative and therapeutic tool for mental health conditions.7 In South Africa, mental health conditions are a leading cause of disability.8 In low-resource healthcare settings, the accessibility and affordability of exercise make it a pertinent intervention. Collaboration and thoughtful discussion with patients should address barriers to exercising, such as crime, infrastructure, gender roles, social physique anxiety and motivation, which may require purposeful attention in those impacted by mental health conditions. SEP may be particularly important in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where athletes may face additional unique challenges …

中文翻译：

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倡导心理健康：使用南非模型为低收入和中等收入国家开展运动和运动精神病学

运动与运动医学 (SEM) 作为一门临床专业在南非得到了认可，为运动与运动精神病学 (SEP) 作为一门重要的补充学科的出现奠定了基础，支持运动人群的生物心理社会医疗方法。运动员的心理健康已被国际社会确定为一个优先领域，并得到新的临床工具和资源的支持。1 此外，人们越来越认识到运动是运动员和非运动员心理健康医学的一种形式。2 3 本社论概述南非发展标准必要专利的方法及其在全球类似环境中的适用性。心理健康状况在竞技体育中很常见，对运动员的整体健康和表现具有重要的考虑因素。4 SEP 重点关注精英运动员和休闲运动员的这些状况的预防、诊断和治疗。5 SEP 的另一个优先事项是使用运动作为干预措施5 运动对身体健康的预防作用是众所周知的；然而，Posadzki 等人对 Cochrane 系统评价的荟萃分析实际上发现，运动对心理健康结果的影响更大。6 尽管如此，运动作为心理健康问题的潜在预防和治疗工具却经常被忽视。 7 在南非，心理健康状况是导致残疾的主要原因。8 在资源匮乏的医疗保健环境中，运动的可及性和可负担性使其成为一项相关的干预措施。与患者的合作和深思熟虑的讨论应该解决锻炼的障碍，例如犯罪、基础设施、性别角色、社会体质焦虑和动机，这可能需要对那些受心理健康状况影响的人进行有目的地关注。 SEP 在低收入和中等收入国家 (LMIC) 可能特别重要，因为这些国家的运动员可能面临额外的独特挑战……