Basketball as Psycho Social Therapy for Adolescents in Psychiatric Hospitalization
The positive contribution of physical activity to physical and mental health is well known, and sport is among the forms of physical activity that are being increasingly utilized in the prevention and treatment of people with emotional disorders. The use of individual sports, such as martial arts, horseback riding, and outdoor adventure programs, are known for their therapeutic qualities of enhancing personal growth and facilitation of overcoming emotional obstacles. On the other hand, the potential of team sports to promote social skills in addition to individual growth has been relatively undeveloped. This paper presents a program that attempts to achieve therapeutic benefits from basketball in a structured, adolescent psychiatric inpatient, hospital setting. Emotional, interpersonal, and behavioral problems often result in social stigma and self distancing which retard the social development of adolescents with emotional difficulties. The condition of hospitalization can often exacerbate these limitations. Basketball can be an additional mode of treatment during hospitalization, and we will describe a program that uses specific aspects of the sport for improving nonverbal and verbal communication skills, social functioning and strengthening self esteem. The conclusions are based upon interviews of the participants, the authors' observations and anecdotal reports. Subscribe to Palaestra