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•What aspects of Jane’s work with the WSL help to shed light on how mental health is addressed within sport more broadly?

•What are the key aspects of your readings that you can draw on to explain how the WSL address mental health – so how could you theorise the work?

•What do all of these support you with looking at advocacy work?

•What could you say about the intersectionality of mental health for footballers?

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Adolescents viewed sport as a safe and supportive environment for promoting mental health.

Sport offered an outlet for stress relief and emotional regulation.

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• Risk of common mental disorders broadly similar to general population

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• Risk of common mental disorders broadly similar to general population

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Based on the available evidence, elite athletes appeared to have a broadly comparable risk of high-prevalence mental disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety) to that seen in the general population.

However — the authors note — there may be subgroups of elite athletes at elevated risk: e.g. those facing serious injury, those approaching or in retirement, or those experiencing performance difficulties.

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Stigma surrounding mental health plays big part in why people don’t open up

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Bauman- untreated MH can undermine performance and well-being MORE than seeking help could

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The incentives to ask for help and potentially get better are outweighed by the perception of appearing mentally weak.

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14% of 12-17 year olds experience a mental illness in any given 12 month period but only 65% access formal support services

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- Elite sport culture heavily emphasises mental toughness

- Because of this, mental health problems are often seen as weakness

- Athletes may hide issues or avoid seeking help due to stigma

- Sport organisations often lack structures to properly support athlete mental wellbeing

- The researcher argues that elite sport must reframe mental toughness so it includes openness, help-seeking, and psychological wellbeing rather than contradicting them

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Calling for a reframe of MENTAL TOUGHNESS

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Only a small proportion of sports have mentioned mental health issues on their websites, and even fewer have implemented any programmes that attempt to address mental health problems.

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Recruitment is beginning at an earlier age so athletes are being exposed to these mental health issues and also they have to try and solve their own issues.

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20% of adults experience a mental health issue each year but between the ages of 18-25 it increases to 30% (USDHS, 2012)

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20% of adults experience a mental health issue each year but between the ages of 18-25 it increases to 30% (USDHS, 2012)

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IT IS CONTRADICTORY

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Sport organisations are valuable platforms for mental health promotions, prevention and intervention

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There is a lack of detailed mental-health policies in many national governing bodies of elite sport, despite growing awareness

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All 62 of the searched sports had a peak national sporting body and corresponding website. Only 18 (29%) contained any mention of mental health or psychological factors.

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The analysis of 62 sports shows limited engagement with mental health, giving advocates concrete evidence to push for: policies on mental health and club-wide education.

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face workplace stressors - increased public scrutiny through mainstream and social media, and limited support networks due to group dynamics in team sport and injuries that could end careers prematurely.

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Consensus/position statements and grey literature recommend that sport organisations create supportive structures — including mental-health screening, multi-disciplinary support, education of coaches and staff, and clearer pathways for mental-health help-seeking.

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Still a stigma surrounding athletes talking about their mental health

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14% of young people aged 12-17 years experience a mental illness in a 12 month period. Only 65% of these adolescent access health services.

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Inconsistent evidence for some mental-health domains

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Inconsistent evidence for some mental-health domains

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For eating disorders / body-image issues, the findings were mixed. Some studies found higher incidence in elite athletes (especially in sports emphasising leanness or low body weight) and among female athletes.

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Stigmas, lack of knowledge, and perception of help-seeking as weakness hinder progress and existing campaigns lack clear aims, long-term strategy, and evaluation

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The findings from studies reporting bigger samples, although limited in breadth, imply that top athletes face a broadly equivalent risk of high-prevalence mental illnesses (i.e. anxiety, depression) relative to the general population. However, certain athletes may be more susceptible to mental illness than others, such as those who are nearing retirement or who are having poor performance.

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does not provide a sufficiently solid evidence base to inform policy or large-scale practice

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Over a third (34.9%) of young people aged 12–17 years and half (51.1%) of those aged 4–11 years who experience a mental health problem do not seek professional help.

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There is a lack of support around eating disorders in developing athletes, especially for those still in school - with the use of steriods and diet pills prevelant

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Among the sports that did run mental health campaigns very few provided evaluation of their efforts

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Stigma attached to MH issues are driven by:

Social history

Sport organisations wanting profit

Expectations of succes from parents, relatives, coaches

Financial gain/ loss

Media outlets (glorify=winners, criticise=losers)

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Sports websites need to include information on mental health in order for young people to access relevant help.

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Athletes more often than not wont seek support for mental health problems - have a lack of understanding and its influence on performance, and has a perception of seeking help as a sign of weakness

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elite athletes are at risk of mental health in their competitive years

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The review shows a rapid rise regarding mental health concerns and most interventions show focus on mental skills training rather then adressing clinical mental health concerns

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-coaches seen as critical influences, showing encouragement, empathy and leadership which directly influence athlete wellbeing

-family support as they influence reinforce positive experiences (or negative) and can navigate challenges for childhood into adolesence and adulthood.

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The article emphasises that youth sport is a double-edged sword: It can be a powerful context for promoting mental health through connection, identity, and support, but it also carries risks if competitive pressure or exclusion dominate. This harnesses the positive aspects that require international strategies from coaches, families, and sporting organisations.

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athletes turn to substance abuse to help cope with the mental pressures of their sport; however, with a program intervention for illicit drug use, it saw a reduction in its use, whereas with alcohol abuse there was not such a positive impact, with many still using this a coping mechanism

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There should be a greater focus on reducing dropout rates, promoting resilience, and integrating mental health modules into coach education.

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Linking to Jane’s work in the WSL, up to 26% of current professional football players and up to 29% of former professional football players experience a mental health problem.

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Risks and challenges

Performance anxiety

Exclusion and bullying

Overemphasis on winning

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There can be more understanding to provide guidance for sport practitioners, need to assist athletes with coping strategies to support wellbeing

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when they introduced psychoeducational strategies such as mindfulness intervention, they saw an increase in athletes' ability to self-manage their mental health

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Elite athletes are not invulnerable: despite physical advantages, they face unique stressors (injury, burnout, pressure, organisational climate) that may increase vulnerability to mental ill-health.

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Treat all sport organisations as more than competition but as sites for mental health prevention and wellbeing promotion

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implications

youth programs should integrate mental health literacy and support strategies alongside athletic training

coach education for coaches to recognise signs of distress, agd to foster positive wellbeing, inclusive environment and early intervention

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I think it was good to see how far mental health support in sport has come since Rio, especially, but it still shows some gaps need covering, especially when it comes to whos responsible for what in organisations - there is no overall clarity

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What could you say about the intersectionality of mental health for footballers?

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What could you say about the intersectionality of mental health for footballers?

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footballers from lower socio-economic backgrounds may struggle due to financial stressors, putting more pressure on performances and to stay away from injury - creating a greater demand for mental health support

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People seek mental health support but an institution like the WSL but they may prioritise the athletes performance instead of getting to the root of the problem that they are having.

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The readings support my advocacy group as it is an athlete mental health organisation, who recognise there is still a stigma surrounding mental health. They focus on providing accessible resources and uniting a global community to empower athletes to prioritise their mental health and shatter the stigma within sports culture.

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I think it was good to highlight when athletes go into retirement and how their MH looks like and what to do to support them

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article emphasises that youth sport can be powerful for promoting mental health through connection, identity, and support but also carries the risk of competitive pressures.

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Considerations of what to 'Win Well' means - what are the compromises? should there be - Systemically, if there is ambiguity across departments then standards vary and could increase risk. Therefore, articulation of message is key. Think Person v Performance.