Psychosocial impact of involvement in the Special Olympics

Abstract

Existing evidence suggests that people with intellectual disabilities are vulnerable to low self-esteem leading to additional psychosocial issues such as social exclusion and stress. Previous research into the involvement of Special Olympics (SO) of people with intellectual disabilities has indicted positive psychosocial outcomes. Involvement in sport is known generally to have psychological and social benefits. This study aimed to compare the psychosocial impact of involvement in sport through the SO to no or limited sports involvement, for a sample of people with intellectual disabilities. A cross sectional design was employed comparing three groups, SO, Mencap Sports, and Mencap No Sports on the variables: Self-esteem, quality of life, stress levels and social networks. One hundred and one participants were recruited either through the SO or Mencap. Data were collected through the completion of validated questionnaires by one to one interviews with the participants. Analysis revealed that self-esteem, quality of life, and stress were all significantly associated with SO involvement. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore whether scores on these variables were able to predict group membership. Self-esteem was found to be a significant predictor of group membership, those in the SO having the highest self-esteem. The findings provide further evidence of a positive association between sport involvement and increased psychological wellbeing, especially for those involved in the SO. The implications of these findings for practice and future research into the relationship between sport and psychological wellbeing within the learning disabled population are considered.

Adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) and their perceptions of, and motivation for, physical activity and organised sports

“…This allows us to conclude that both adolescents with ID in general, and the ones who are active through the Special Olympics Movement, are signalling a need for socialisation. This challenge the school system and the PE as advocates for facilitation of the feeling of inclusion in both PA, organised sports and the society as a whole (Crawford et al, 2015;Robinson et al, 2018).…”

“…Previous data indicate that only a small number of individuals with ID regularly participate in organised sport for recreational or competitive reasons (Robinson et al, 2018), and compared to fully functional individuals, the proportion is low. In the Special Olympics Movement, individuals with ID compete with others and research reports several motivational factors for participation, including better self-esteem and the opportunity to make social connections with coaches, teammates and opponents (Crawford et al, 2015). Based on a review, by Thomson et al (2020), significant research is required to better understand how engaging in sustainable and intentional PA or organised sport can support greater community participation, as well as the importance of inclusion for people with ID (Svanelöv et al, 2020).…”

When the Normative Is Formative: Parents’ Perceptions of the Impacts of Inclusive Sports Programs

“…The implementation of inclusive sports programs is a key component of inclusive education more generally, especially since participation in such extracurricular activities has a wide range of positive impacts on children, including improved health, overall development, and well-being [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. For those with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD), research has shown that participation in sports provides benefits in the areas of self-esteem and self-confidence [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Furthermore, sports participation among youth with IDD also has a positive impact on friendships, social competence, and enhanced opportunities to participate in the same activities as their peers without disabilities [ 9 , 10 , 11 ].…”

Srdeční frekvence sportovců s mentálním postižením během zápasů národního turnaje ve stolním tenise Českého hnutí speciálních olympiád: pilotní studie

“…aerobní kapacity, hrubé motoriky, rovnováhy a síly, zlepšení psychologických faktorů jako je sebepojetí, sebeuznání, kvalita života, zmírnění agrese a zlepšení sociálních faktorů, např. sociální zdatnosti, oblíbenosti a uznání rodiny (Crawford, Burns, & Fernie, 2015 Zdravotně orientovaná zdatnost, jejímž ukazatelem jsou hodnoty srdeční frekvence v klidu a při zátěži, je závažným tématem pro jakékoliv skupiny populace, osoby s MP nevyjímaje. Ve sportu je srdeční frekvence často využívaným indikátorem intenzity cvičení, kardio-respirační zdatnosti a sympatické aktivace.…”