The impact of involvement in sport on psychological factors such as self-esteem and social networks for people with intellectual disabilities

Evidence suggests that people with intellectual disabilities may be vulnerable to increased social isolation, low levels of self-esteem and high levels of stress, in addition to low levels of physical health. Such factors have been shown to have negative impacts on mental health and there is a higher level of psychological and psychiatric problems within this population compared to people without intellectual disabilities. For many people participation in sport has been shown to be an effective intervention with regard to both building resilience against and addressing psychological distress and of course, improving physical well-being. However, there is little research on the psychosocial impact of sports involvement for people with intellectual disabilities. This paper will present the findings of research to date and also report on some recent research demonstrating the psychosocial benefits of sports involvement through Special Olympics participation. Possible future directions for research will also be presented.