Mental Health Literacy Intervention on Help-Seeking in Athletes: A Systematic Review.

Xiang Wang,Chun-Qing Zhang,Jingdong Liu,Danran Bu,Pak-Kwong Chung

doi:10.3390/ijerph17197263

Abstract

Mental health literacy (MHL) is recognised as a major factor in whether athletes seek help when they experience mental health difficulties. Therefore, the current study aimed to provide a systematic review of the effectiveness of MHL training programmes in improving mental health knowledge and help-seeking and reducing stigma among athletes. To identify intervention studies of MHL programmes, five electronic databases were systematically searched for articles published before May 2020. The selection procedure was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All kinds of study designs were included. Effect sizes were calculated for mental health knowledge, stigma reduction and help-seeking attitudes, intentions and behaviours. Risk of bias was assessed for each study using the Cochrane tool and the Newcastle–Ottawa quality assessment scale. Five studies (1239 participants in total) were selected for review. Overall, either small or medium effects were found for mental health knowledge, stigma reduction, help-seeking attitudes, and intentions for post- and follow-up interventions, whereas a null effect was found in help-seeking behaviours for both post- and follow-up interventions. Furthermore, three studies had a low risk of bias, and two had a high risk of bias. MHL interventions can enhance help-seeking attitudes and intentions and mental health knowledge and reduce stigma but do not increase help-seeking behaviours for now. Further studies should evaluate interventions to enhance help-seeking behaviours. Furthermore, the methodological quality of studies, including randomized controlled trials and other designs, should be improved in future research.

Highlights

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) consensus statement has affirmed the importance of mental health for elite athletes [1]
Gulliver et al [3] found that 23.2% of the Australian elite athletes surveyed suffered from depression, while 7.1% met the criteria for generalised anxiety disorder and
Gouttebarge et al [4] revealed that 45% of the Dutch elite athletes surveyed and 29% of former elite athletes suffered from anxiety and depression

Summary

Introduction

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) consensus statement has affirmed the importance of mental health for elite athletes [1]. Gulliver et al [3] found that 23.2% of the Australian elite athletes surveyed suffered from depression, while 7.1% met the criteria for generalised anxiety disorder and. Gouttebarge et al [4] revealed that 45% of the Dutch elite athletes surveyed and 29% of former elite athletes suffered from anxiety and depression. Even when their suffering is severe, it seems that athletes rarely seek professional services when they experience mental health issues [5,6]. Guo [7] reported that 86% of the surveyed Chinese elite athletes did not seek professional assistance when experiencing mental health issues

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion