In the theoretical segment of my thesis, I have outlined fundamental findings pertaining to the
field of mental health – in particular within the youth demographic. Sports, leisure time, stress,
modern technology, self-image and social work were topics I connected to this, as they are all
heavily intertwined with the aforementioned research. For that reason I examined current
findings in the beginning of my thesis. Within my research I was primarily interested in how
young adults, members of the unofficial amateur mountaineering club Fužinski Gamsi, feel
about sport and its effect on their mental health. For this purpose I have conducted a qualitative
research with written text based data. I gathered that the youths of the club spent their free time
quite actively. Their pastimes consist mainly of social activities and sports. They have a positive
self-image which is reflected in their capabilities, self-evaluation and comparison with others.
Both those who refer to social activities and those who refer to sports say they have an improved
self-image. While sports activities influence separate elements of mental health such as
contentment, self-image and the ability to deal with stress, the interviewed individuals did not
experience negative effects in regard to their mental health, despite being limited in physical
activities due to the restrictions we faced during the epidemic. Based on the results of the
research, I suggest greater inclusion of sport activity in social programs for young adults. I find
that it has a positive impact on contentment, self-image and, to some extent, on the ability to
cope with stress. All of the above is important for building the positive mental health of young
people.
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