An Intervention for Mental Health Literacy and Resilience in Organized Sports

Abstract

Purpose In this study, we tested the effectiveness of a multicomponent sports-based program aimed at promoting early intervention, help seeking, and resilience among a sample of adolescent male sport participants. Methods The Ahead of the Game program comprised four intervention components and a messaging campaign. Two components targeted mental health literacy, intentions to seek and provide help, and resilience among adolescent boys. A mental health literacy program for parents and a coach education program to assist in the support of athletes’ psychological needs were also included. We evaluated the program using a nonrandomized controlled trial matching two regional communities. In total, 350 sport participants (mean, 14.53 yr) were included in an intervention group, whereas 466 (mean, 14.66 yr) received usual practice in a matched control community. One hundred and eighty parents or caregivers and eight coaches also participated in the intervention components. Between-group mean differences on the primary and secondary outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed models, adjusted for clustering at club level, participant age, and socioeconomic status. Results Significant positive group–time interactions were found for the primary outcomes of depression and anxiety literacy, intentions to seek help from formal sources, confidence to seek mental health information, and resilience. We also found a significant positive group–time interaction for the secondary outcome of well-being. There were no group–time interactions for social distance (stigma), intentions to seek help from informal sources, implicit beliefs about adversity, perceived familial support, or psychological distress. Conclusions Given the high rates of sport participation worldwide and the increasing focus on mental health in this domain, translation and dissemination of the program may be warranted after replication.

Mental Health, Sport, and Positive Youth Development in Prison Systems: How Can We Move Research and Practice Forward?

“…The rate of effective reintegration into society is still low (Walmsley, 2016). This an important outcome to measure the impact of intervention programs and an indicator that may drive researchers to further understand how sport may be used to foster life skills transfer (Vella et al, 2020b).…”

“…Sport-based programs have been shown to be effective in facilitating mental health benefits (Vella et al, 2014 , 2020a , b ) and reintegration in society (Parker et al, 2014 ). Most sport-based programs that aim to foster mental health have alluded to a range of benefits such as increased physical, social, and psychological skills (Parker et al, 2014 ; Gallant et al, 2015 ; Walmsley, 2016 ; Chekround et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Such programs “…help to empower participants and build their self-confidence; and enforces discipline and boundaries.” (Draper et al, 2013 , p. 528) and have considered a crucial inclusion strategy. Thus, sport have been considered as valuable platforms to deliver programs that aim to develop skills useful for life in society (i.e., reintegration), including resilience and mental health literacy (Vella et al, 2020b ). Some mental health programs use sport based on the assumption this context inherently led to physical, social, and psychological benefits which may not be the case.…”

Estresse mental em atletas de elite: Uma revisão sistemática

“…A prevalência de problemas na saúde mental pode atingir 50% dos atletas em algum momento de sua carreira e o pico de início ocorre por volta dos 19 anos (Åkesdotter et al, 2020). É importante ressaltar que entre os jovens os problemas de saúde mental são um dos maiores contribuintes para a carga global de doenças, com aumento exponencial nos últimos anos (Vella et al, 2021).…”

The effectiveness of an online multimodal intervention for mental health promotion: A randomised controlled trial

“…[5][6][7] This has led to repeated calls to address mental health on a population-level using a more integrative approach that includes non-pharmacological strategies such as lifestyle interventions, mental health promotion, education programs and psychological therapies. [5,[7][8][9][10][11][12] Further, in a recent article in BMC Public Health, [13] a call was made to encourage a greater focus on primary prevention initiatives to reduce the burden of mental health disorders. Mental health promotion and prevention initiatives may enhance the mental health of healthy populations and serve as a protective buffer against mental illness.…”