A mixed-methods examination of a mental health awareness program in elite ice hockey

ABSTRACT

In partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division, the purpose of this study was to conduct a post-season evaluation of the effectiveness of a mental health and suicide-awareness program called Talk Today, delivered to elite adolescent male hockey players and their support staff. The study was conducted using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design that began with a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase. In total, 105 participants (49 athletes, 56 staff) completed online questionnaires and 12 (6 athletes, 6 staff) participated in qualitative interviews. Results integrated quantitative and qualitative findings to examine participants’ perceptions of acceptability of the program, acquisition and application of knowledge, and perceptions of stigma following the program. Findings revealed that 78% of athletes and 90% of staff reported high levels of satisfaction with the program, 85% of athletes and 87% of staff felt they acquired knowledge on mental health including access to resources, and 68% of athletes and 87% of staff felt they could provide more effective support to individuals with mental health issues. Participants felt the program helped them to identify, approach, and support someone experiencing mental health issues. Additionally, participants reported lower levels of personal stigma in comparison to levels of public stigma towards persons with mental health problems. Overall, results suggest a high level of openness to a mental health and suicide-awareness program among elite male adolescent athletes. Given that this group typically holds negative attitudes towards mental health, these findings are promising for the future implementation of such programs.

KEYWORDS:

• Stigma
• elite sport
• male adolescents
• support staff

Data sharing policy

De-identified data will be shared with other researchers upon request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 More information about safeTALK can be found at: https://www.livingworks.net/safetalk

2 The full interview guide is provided online as a supplemental document.