TY - JOUR
T1 - Barriers and Facilitators to Mental Health Help-Seeking in Elite Gaelic Footballers Post-Injury
T2 - A Qualitative Study
AU - O’Keeffe, Sinéad
AU - Ní Chéilleachair, Niamh
AU - Campbell, Mark
AU - O’Connor, Siobhán
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 SHAPE America.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Purpose: Injury can exacerbate mental health issues in athletes. However, the prevalence of mental health issues is not equivalent to the rate of professional help-seeking, with reluctance to seek-help acknowledged as one of the greatest obstacles in efficient management of mental health issues. The current study aimed to examine perceived barriers and facilitators to professional mental health help-seeking in elite male and female Gaelic footballers post-injury. Methods: Male (n = 14) and female (n = 12) elite Gaelic footballers, with a history of moderate or severe injury, were recruited to participate in a focus group. Group discussions began with a written task where participants noted perceived barriers to help-seeking followed by a group discussion of these barriers. Following discussion, participants ranked identified barriers in order of those perceived as most important in stopping a player from seeking help when experiencing mental health issues post-injury. All three tasks were repeated for help-seeking facilitators. Focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed and thematically analyzed. Results: Lack of education, stigma, negative attitudes to help-seeking and accessibility issues were identified as key barriers to help-seeking among elite Gaelic footballers. Education, the attitudes and actions of others and accessibility were perceived as factors facilitating help-seeking. Conclusions: Given the negative psychological responses that can accompany injury, there is a need for facilitation and encouragement of help-seeking among players experiencing mental health issues post-injury. Interventions for reducing the barriers to help-seeking identified in the current study are necessary.
AB - Purpose: Injury can exacerbate mental health issues in athletes. However, the prevalence of mental health issues is not equivalent to the rate of professional help-seeking, with reluctance to seek-help acknowledged as one of the greatest obstacles in efficient management of mental health issues. The current study aimed to examine perceived barriers and facilitators to professional mental health help-seeking in elite male and female Gaelic footballers post-injury. Methods: Male (n = 14) and female (n = 12) elite Gaelic footballers, with a history of moderate or severe injury, were recruited to participate in a focus group. Group discussions began with a written task where participants noted perceived barriers to help-seeking followed by a group discussion of these barriers. Following discussion, participants ranked identified barriers in order of those perceived as most important in stopping a player from seeking help when experiencing mental health issues post-injury. All three tasks were repeated for help-seeking facilitators. Focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed and thematically analyzed. Results: Lack of education, stigma, negative attitudes to help-seeking and accessibility issues were identified as key barriers to help-seeking among elite Gaelic footballers. Education, the attitudes and actions of others and accessibility were perceived as factors facilitating help-seeking. Conclusions: Given the negative psychological responses that can accompany injury, there is a need for facilitation and encouragement of help-seeking among players experiencing mental health issues post-injury. Interventions for reducing the barriers to help-seeking identified in the current study are necessary.
KW - Education
KW - GAA
KW - psychology of injury
KW - stigma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110815091&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02701367.2020.1865517
DO - 10.1080/02701367.2020.1865517
M3 - Article
C2 - 34270908
AN - SCOPUS:85110815091
SN - 0270-1367
VL - 93
SP - 488
EP - 503
JO - Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport
JF - Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport
IS - 3
ER -