Casper Voyles, assistant professor of public health in the Department of Social Justice and Social Change, recently published an article in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The article, “Measuring the Association Between Sports and Mental Health Among Mexican LGBTQ People: Psychological Distress Among Athletes, Spectators/Volunteers, and Non-Attendees During the 2023 Gay Games,” describes the association between psychological distress and participation in the 2023 Gay Games in Guadalajara. It was published in a special issue about sports and mental health.
Dr. Voyles found that among LGBTQ residents of Mexico, those who participated as athletes in the Gay Games were less likely to experience distress in the two weeks from the start of the event compared to those who did not attend the Gay Games; spectators/volunteers also were less likely to report distress than non-attendees. This study suggests that more can be learned about LGBTQ-inclusive sporting environments and how LGBTQ people may benefit from participating. Read the article at MDPI.com