Athlete and Nonathlete Intentions to Self-Manage Mental Health: Applying the Integrated Behavior Change Model to the State of Mind Program

Abstract

We aimed to determine whether a mental health awareness and self-management program could improve intentions to self-manage mental health for both athletes and nonathletes. Two hundred students (M age = 21.10 - years, SD = 3.73, male = 53%) took part. The intervention group showed an increase in self-management intentions (p < .05), facilitated indirectly through the intervention’s direct changes in autonomous (β = .13, p < .05) and controlled motivation (β = .18, p < .05), and direct (β = .28, p < .05) and indirect (β = .14, p < .05) changes in the attitude factor of the theory of planned behaviour. This is the first study to incorporate the Integrated Behaviour Change Model into a mental health intervention for student athletes.

Lay Summary: We wanted to determine whether the State of Mind Ireland Program can improve intentions to self-manage mental health and to explain any changes through the integrated behavior change model. Those who received the program showed an increase in intentions to self-manage their mental health, through improved autonomous and controlled motivation, and attitudes towards self-managing mental health. The program can be integrated into athlete and non-athlete service provision as a prevention method.

Acknowledgments

We thank the students for taking part, and the State of Mind Ireland team for the training in the program. We also particularly acknowledge the late Dr. Martin Lawlor, cofounder of the SOMI program and advocate of mental health.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The Public Health Agency for Northern Ireland.