Football metaphor and mental well-being: An evaluation of the It's a Goal! programme

Abstract

Background

The It's a Goal! programme utilises football metaphor and football venues as a means to frame and deliver a non-clinical, group-based therapeutic intervention, targeting men with mental health needs. A pilot in the North West of England was hosted by seven professional football clubs in partnership with local Primary Care Trusts.

Aims

To evaluate the impact of the intervention and to identify the benefits and key components of the approach from the perspective of participants.

Method

Analysis of impact utilised before and after well-being scores measured on a modified version of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Focus groups provided additional qualitative data that were analysed thematically.

Results

Findings suggest that It's a Goal! had a significant impact upon participant's well-being. In addition, participants reported a range of positive benefits especially in relation to confidence, self-esteem and developing better coping mechanisms. Participants related these benefits to a number of key components, not least the therapeutic value of football metaphor, the focus on goal-setting and the mutual support developed within the groups.

Conclusions

Using football metaphor to deliver a group therapeutic programme aimed at men appears to be an effective means of facilitating mental health benefits.

Keywords:

• football
• metaphor
• mental well-being
• goal setting
• men
• gender

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge all the It's a Goal! coaches and players; the North West Mental Health Improvement Programme and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful input and suggestions.

Declaration of Interest: This research was funded by the North West Mental Health Improvement Programme.