Eating Disorders And Psychological Well-Being In Non-Elite Team Athletes

Abstract

The aim of this preliminary work was to determine the
prevalence of Eating Disorders (ED) in non-elite national
team sports athletes and to describe their perceived
psychological well-being based on the PERMA model.
Additionally, it analyzes psychological well-being based on
the risk of presenting symptoms related to ED. Seventyone
athletes participated in the study. The ‘PERMA-Profiler’
questionnaires and the abbreviated version of the Athlete’s
Eating Habits Questionnaire, CHAD-B, were used. The results show that 25.3% of the athletes are at high risk of suffering from an eating disorder. There are no statistically significant differences based on sex in the risk of ED. Athletes report a psychological well-being score of 7.6 on a scale of 0-10. The most prominent dimensions are social relationships and meaning; on the other hand, the Accomplishment scale received the lowest scores. We did not observe significant differences in psychological well-being based on the risk of ED, nor based on sex. This study provides relevant information for coaches and sports psychologists, who should pay special attention to the detection of ED cases that are invisible, denied, or unrecognized. Additionally, it is recommended to enhance optimism, emotional intelligence, and intrinsic motivation for improved well-being.