Mental health literacy, mental health experiences and help-seeking behaviours of Chinese elite athletes: a qualitative study

Bu, Danran; Zhang, Chun-Qing; Liu, Jing-Dong; Han, Zhe; Wang, Xiang; Huang, Zhijian

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1391597

Front. Public Health

2024

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1391597

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Mental health literacy, mental health experiences and help-seeking behaviours of Chinese elite athletes: a qualitative study

Danran Bu,

Chun-Qing Zhang,

Jing-Dong Liu

et al.

Abstract: IntroductionElite athletes' help-seeking on mental health might be influenced by their mental health literacy (MHL) and mental health experiences. The current study aimed to explore the MHL, experiences and help-seeking behaviours among elite athletes using a qualitative approach.MethodsFace-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted among 20 Chinese elite athletes, 12 coaches, and 5 team officials. Interview data was analyzed using content analysis.ResultsSeven main themes emerged from the analysis. Th… Show more

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Mental health literacy and help-seeking intention among Chinese elite athletes: the mediating roles of stigma and social support

Bu,

Zhang,

Liang

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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ObjectivesConsidering the importance of mental health help-seeking, researchers have closely examined the relationship between mental health literacy (MHL) and help-seeking intention (HSI). Furthermore, the high impact of stigma and the potential value of social support on HSI have been recognised. However, the relationship between these variables has not been fully tested within the context of Chinese elite athletes. This study addressed this gap by examining the relationship between MHL and HSI. Furthermore, it explored the mediating effects of public stigma, self-stigma, and social support on the relationship between MHL and HSI among Chinese elite athletes.Methods450 Chinese elite athletes (Mage = 18.12, SD = 3.20, 46.2% female) self-reported their MHL, public stigma, self-stigma, social support, and HSI. Mediation analysis was conducted using the bootstrap approach of the PROCESS macro version 3.3 of SPSS 25.ResultsThe results showed a significant positive correlation between MHL and HSI (r = 0.348). The results also demonstrated that MHL was a predictor of HSI (β = 0.337, 95%CI [0.249, 0.425], p < 0.001). Furthermore, 1) the indirect effect of MHL → public stigma→HSI was 0.024 and a 95%CI [0.003, 0.053]. Specifically, MHL predicted public stigma (Estimate = −0.151, 95%CI [−0.187, −0.045], p < 0.001), and public stigma predicted HSI (Estimate = −0.161, 95%CI [− 0.549, −0.164], p < 0.001); 2) the indirect effect of MHL → self-stigma→ HSI was 0.016 and 95%CI [0.002, 0.038]. Specifically, MHL predicted self-stigma (Estimate = −0.137, 95%CI [−0.069, −0.013], p < 0.01), and self-stigma predicted HSI (Estimate = −0.120, 95%CI [−1.181, −0.186], p < 0.01); as well as 3) the indirect effect of MHL → social support→HSI was 0.029 and a 95%CI [0.009, 0.055]. Specifically, MHL predicted social support (Estimate = 0.208, 95%CI [0.018, 0.047], p < 0.001), and social support predicted HSI (Estimate = 0.141, 95%CI [0.578, 2.442], p < 0.01). Additionally, the direct effects from MHL to HSI is (β = 0.452, 95%CI [0.304, 0.600], p < 0.001).ConclusionOur findings provide empirical support for the roles of public stigma, self-stigma, and social support as mechanisms of behavioural change in MHL interventions. These factors increase HSI among elite athletes. Future studies should further test these mediating effects using experimental designs.

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Mental health literacy and help-seeking intention among Chinese elite athletes: the mediating roles of stigma and social support

Bu,

Zhang,

Liang

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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show abstract

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Mental health literacy, mental health experiences and help-seeking behaviours of Chinese elite athletes: a qualitative study

Cited by 1 publication

References 66 publications

Mental health literacy and help-seeking intention among Chinese elite athletes: the mediating roles of stigma and social support

Mental health literacy and help-seeking intention among Chinese elite athletes: the mediating roles of stigma and social support

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