ArticleSleep2021
Sleep and mental health in athletes during COVID-19 lockdown.
Article in Sleep, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 58 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
58 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 122 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sleep and Circadian Interventions to Improve Athletes' Mental Health, Mood and Well-Being: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental and Emotional Health of Athletes: A Systematic Review.The American journal of sports medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological aspects and mental health of elite soccer athletes: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Pooled it
- Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Pandemic on Physical Activity, Mental Health and Quality of Life in Professional Athletes-A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- The Effects of Elastic Band Exercises with PNF on Shooting Speed and Accuracy in Ball Hockey Players during the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Trial
- Association of sleep pattern phenotypes with health outcomes in Chinese older chronic patients.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Sleep and stress in athletes with disabilities around the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic games during the pandemic.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The relationship between sleep disorder and mental health in athletes and its mediating role: a cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2025Article
- Athletes' Perceived Team Climate, Social Support, and Optimistic Thoughts During the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Elite Swimmers and Water Polo Players: Lessons for the Future.Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Prevalence of Poor Sleep Quality and its Association with Lifestyle Habits, Competition-Based Activities, and Psychological Distress in Japanese Student-Athletes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Sleep science (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2024Article
- Did social isolation affect anxiety and sleep quality of elite soccer players during the COVID-19 lockdown? Comparisons to training before distancing in the pandemic and outlook for mental health.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Jet Lag and COVID-19: Extra Challenges for Athletes during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.Sleep science (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2023Article
- The impact of living in a bio-secure bubble on mental health: An examination in elite cricket.Psychology of sport and exercise · 2023Article
- Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on athletes, sports events, and mass gathering events: Review and recommendations.Sports medicine and health science · 2023Review
- Article
- Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on the mental health in sports: a review.Sport sciences for health · 2023Review
- Article
- Cognitive fitness modulates gender differences in sleep and mental health among competitive athletes under chronic stress.Frontiers in physiology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The global coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions resulted in the majority of sports competitions around the world being put on hold. This includes the National Basketball Association, the UEFA Champions League, Australian Football League, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and regional competitions. The mitigation strategies in place to control the pandemic have caused disruption to daily schedules, working environments, and lifestyle factors. Athletes rely on regular access to training facilities, practitioners, and coaches to maintain physical and mental health to achieve maximal performance and optimal recovery. Furthermore, participation in sport at any level increases social engagement and promotes better mental health. It is, therefore, critical to understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures have affected the lives of athletes. We surveyed elite and sub-elite athletes (n = 565) across multiple sports. Significant disruptions were reported for all lifestyle factors including social interactions, physical activity, sleep patterns, and mental health. We found a significant increase in total sleep time and sleep latency, as well as a delay in mid-sleep times and a decrease in social jetlag. Training frequency and duration significantly decreased. Importantly, the changes to training and sleep-related factors were associated with mental health outcomes. With spikes in COVID-19 cases rising around the world and governments reinstituting lockdowns (e.g. United Kingdom; Melbourne, Australia; California, USA) these results will inform messaging and strategies to better manage sleep and mental health in a population for whom optimal performance is critical.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.