Tackle Your Feelings: Experience of Help-Seeking for Mental Well-Being Concerns in Professional Rugby Union Players

Journal article


Lyons, D, Clarke, P. and Dempsey, R.C. 2022. Tackle Your Feelings: Experience of Help-Seeking for Mental Well-Being Concerns in Professional Rugby Union Players. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology. pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2022-0014
AuthorsLyons, D, Clarke, P. and Dempsey, R.C.
Abstract

Limited research into professional rugby union players’ experiences of seeking formal support for their mental health exists, despite comparable rates of mental health issues among elite rugby players with the general population. This qualitative study explored professional players’ actual experiences of accessing Rugby Players Ireland’s mental well-being service, via separate focus group discussions with professional players (n = 5) and player development managers (n = 4) who refer players into the service. An inductive reflexive thematic analysis identified three themes detailing players’ (a) journey to disclosure of their mental health difficulties, (b) their expectations and engagement with the well-being service, and (c) participants’ reflections on mental health experiences in a high-performance environment. Embedding mental health as a key component of player development in high-performance environments, improving mental health literacy, normalizing mental health experiences, and encouraging help-seeking would help promote player well-being and support holistic development alongside sporting performance.

KeywordsMental Health; Performance Environment; Mental Health Literacy ; Player Welfare; Rugby
Year2022
JournalJournal of Clinical Sport Psychology
Journal citationpp. 1-17
PublisherHuman Kinetics
ISSN1932-927X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2022-0014
Web address (URL)https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/630407/
https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jcsp/aop/article-10.1123-jcsp.2022-0014/article-10.1123-jcsp.2022-0014.xml?content=abstract
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online21 Nov 2022
Publication process dates
Accepted2022
Deposited13 Feb 2023
Permalink -

https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/9w3y0/tackle-your-feelings-experience-of-help-seeking-for-mental-well-being-concerns-in-professional-rugby-union-players

  • 95
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 5
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Exploring the Contribution of Personal Qualities to the Personal and Professional Development of Trainee Sport Psychology Practitioners’ Within the Individuation Process
Verner, Daryl, Chandler, Charlotte and Clarke, Philip 2021. Exploring the Contribution of Personal Qualities to the Personal and Professional Development of Trainee Sport Psychology Practitioners’ Within the Individuation Process. Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research. 92 (1), pp. 43-54. https://doi.org/10.2478/pcssr-2021-0024
The Role of Future Time Perspective, Body Awareness, and Social Connectedness in the Relationship Between Self-efficacy and Resilience
O’Neill, Ellsy, Clarke, Philip, Fido, Dean and Vione, Katia Correa 2020. The Role of Future Time Perspective, Body Awareness, and Social Connectedness in the Relationship Between Self-efficacy and Resilience. Mental Health Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00434-6
Personality Predictors of Yips and Choking Susceptibility
Clarke, Philip, Sheffield, David and Akehurst, Sally 2020. Personality Predictors of Yips and Choking Susceptibility. Frontiers in Psychology. 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02784
A Qualitative Exploration of Choking Under Pressure in Commercial Airline Pilots
Clarke, P. and Tomaszewska-Collins, W. 2022. A Qualitative Exploration of Choking Under Pressure in Commercial Airline Pilots. Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors. 12 (1), pp. 12-20. https://doi.org/10.1027/2192-0923/a000219
Examining the connection between nature connectedness and dark personality
Dean Fido, Alice Rees, Philip Clarke, Dominic Petronzi and Miles Richardson 2020. Examining the connection between nature connectedness and dark personality. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/shd7v
Paradoxical performance: Predictors and mechanisms associated with the yips and choking
Clarke, Philip 2017. Paradoxical performance: Predictors and mechanisms associated with the yips and choking. PhD Thesis https://doi.org/10.48773/94611