Basketball as a Complementary Treatment for Physical and Psychosocial Rehabilitation | PALAESTRA
Yedidiya Doari
Severe mental illness can have a devastating effect on both the mind and body. It alters the brain’s chemistry, impairs physical conditioning, shatters self-confidence, and often leads to diminished social functioning or even total isolation. Physical activity can play a positive meaningful role in altering or reversing this destructive process. Group activities can provide enormous social benefits lacking in other forms of physical activities or individual sports. Team sports, such as basketball and soccer, are being utilized more and more in the 21st century after being overlooked beforehand. The paper presents a case study that describes a long-term program that examines basketball’s usefulness as adjunctive treatment for the physical and psycho-social recovery of young adult men in a rehabilitation center in Jerusalem. The discussion session’s material is based on the authors’ observations and from interviews conducted with group members. The data comes from a questionnaire that was administered after several years of group participation. Subscribe to PALAESTRA