Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptability and appropriateness of a sport-centered, collaborative mental health service delivery model implemented within the Canadian Center for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS) over a period of 16 months. The study is situated within a larger Participatory Action Research (PAR) project to design, implement and evaluate the CCMHS. Primary data were collected from CCMHS practitioners (n = 10) and service-users (n = 6) through semi-structured interviews, as well as from CCMHS stakeholders (n = 13) during a project meeting, captured via meeting minutes. Secondary data derived from documents (e.g., clinical, policy, procedural; n = 48) created by the CCMHS team (i.e., practitioners, stakeholders, board of directors) during the Implementation Phase of the project were reviewed and analyzed to triangulate the primary data. The Framework Method was used to organize, integrate and interpret the dataset. Overall, results indicate that both practitioners and service-users found the model to be both acceptable and appropriate. In particular, practitioners' knowledge and experience working in sport, a robust intake process carried out by a centralized Care Coordinator, and the ease and flexibility afforded by virtual care delivery significantly contributed to positive perceptions of the model. Some challenges associated with interprofessional collaboration and mental health care costs were highlighted and perceived as potentially hindering the model's acceptability and appropriateness.
Highlights
In September 2017, a group of stakeholders from the sport and mental health domains, including the two authors, commenced a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project to design, implement and evaluate a novel sport-focused mental health service delivery model applied within a national center that became the “Canadian Center for Mental Health and Sport” (CCMHS; Van Slingerland et al, 2019)
Following are key characteristics of the CCMHS service delivery model emerging from the Design and Implementation Phases of the research project that are of particular relevance for the current study focused on evaluating the acceptability and appropriateness of the model (i.e., Evaluation Phase)
Results are organized according to the seven conceptual components of acceptability (Sekhon et al, 2017) and four conceptual components of appropriateness (Canadian Medical Association, 2015)
Summary
In September 2017, a group of stakeholders from the sport and mental health domains, including the two authors, commenced a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project to design, implement and evaluate a novel sport-focused mental health service delivery model applied within a national center that became the “Canadian Center for Mental Health and Sport” (CCMHS; Van Slingerland et al, 2019). Sport-Centered Mental Health Care high-performance athletes to access acceptable, and appropriate mental health care informed by a sport lens (Van Slingerland et al, 2019). This finding was in line with an accruing body of evidence demonstrating the value and need to provide sportinformed mental health services and resources to address the unique needs and demands of the athletic population (Henriksen et al, 2019, 2020; Reardon et al, 2019).
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