Introduction and background
The mental health of athletes has become a priority issue, both on the field and in the scientific literature. However, most studies have focused primarily on the mental health of Olympic and student athletes. This means that other groups of athletes, such as developing athletes, have been less studied. These young people, aged between 14 and 25, represent the next generation of athletes competing on national teams and may be vulnerable to the development of mental health issues. In fact, they are in a crucial period of their personal development while facing additional risk factors that can adversely affect their mental health, such as lack of funding and support from their sports federations. To our knowledge, there are no data on this population in Canada. The objective of this doctoral thesis is to explore and address mental health issues in developing athletes in Quebec. This research project will provide a picture of the developing athletes’ mental health and issue practical recommendations for the field, with a view to fostering the athletes’ development and optimizing their mental health.
Methods
This doctoral thesis is being conducted in partnership with the Institut national du sport du Québec, the Fondation Aléo, the Plan de match program and various provincial sports federations. To achieve the project’s primary objective, three studies will be carried out. The first study has been completed, while the second is in the analysis phase and the third is in the process of recruiting participants. This report therefore focuses on the results of the first study.
The aims of the first study were (1) to identify the proportion of developing athletes with clinical symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as their mental health levels; (2) to explore the links between psychological abuse, type of sport, mental performance and mental health symptomology, and mental health; and (3) to investigate whether psychological abuse and type of sport influence the links between mental performance and mental health issues. To this end, 283 developing athletes completed an online questionnaire.
Key findings and implications
The results show that 20.5% of developing athletes had clinical symptoms of anxiety and 21.2% had clinical symptoms of depression. In terms of mental health status, 1.8% of athletes were languishing, 52.3% were moderately thriving and 45.9% were thriving. In addition, the results suggest that athletes involved in team sports reported better mental health than those practising individual sports. Psychological abuse from peers or an authority figure is associated with increased depressive symptoms, while only peer abuse is linked to anxiety symptoms. Athletes with good mental performance skills reported fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms, and have better mental health. The protective impact of mental performance on anxiety decreases when an athlete has experienced psychological abuse from an authority figure.
The results show that developing athletes face multiple factors that can affect their mental health. Sports organizations are therefore advised to take proactive measures, such as increasing funding for and improving access to mental health resources in order to better meet the needs of developing athletes. It is also essential that sports organizations set up programs to prevent and address psychological abuse in sports. It is recommended that procedures be created for reporting abuse in the sports community and that stakeholders be trained to ensure safe environments for developing athletes. Lastly, it is important to use certified mental performance consultants (CMPCs) not only to optimize mental performance, but also to optimize athletes’ mental health and safety.
Strengths and limitations
This study is one of the first to provide a picture of the mental health of developing athletes in Quebec, and to offer valuable recommendations for sports organizations, enabling them to better target athletes’ mental health needs. However, the method used in this research does not allow for causal links to be established, only for associations between variables to be highlighted. Furthermore, the data were self-reported, which is generally less accurate than assessments made during clinical interviews by health care professionals.
Conclusions and next steps
In conclusion, this study identified the proportion of clinical symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as the mental health levels of developmental athletes in Quebec. It also identified key factors that could potentially influence mental health symptomatology, including psychological abuse. This paves the way for the development of policies to protect developing athletes’ mental health and safety. Prompt action against psychological abuse can prevent long-term negative effects and improve athletes’ sports experiences. The study also highlights the importance of mental performance as a protective factor for mental health, which means that this aspect needs to be integrated into interventions. It is essential to provide resources, such as access to certified mental performance consultants (CMPCs), at all levels of development to support these athletes. Finally, more research is needed to better understand young athletes’ mental health issues and to develop appropriate supports.
The next steps will focus primarily on completing the other two studies. The second study focuses on identifying barriers and facilitators to mental health resources, as perceived by developing athletes and coaches. Lastly, the third study focuses on the conceptualization, implementation and assessment of an intervention to normalize the importance of mental health in the sports environments of developing athletes. In other words, this study will help train coaches of developing athletes to integrate practices conducive to supporting athletes’ mental health into their coaching. Thanks to this training, coaches will be better equipped to create a safe sports environment that promotes the athletes’ development and expectations of excellence. This initiative will help to increase awareness of the importance of mental health throughout the sports community, facilitating a holistic approach to the development of developing athletes.