A balancing act: Sport psychologist insights into supporting athlete mental health in elite sport

Sport and Exercise Psychologists are increasingly called upon to support athlete mental health. This study explores sport psychologists’ perceptions of their role in relation to athlete mental health and illness and their experiences of offering mental health support. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 sport psychologists, gathering more than 19 hours of data. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. We constructed three themes: 1) A lack of consensus on remit and role 2) Organization-practitioner misaligned expectations and 3) The emotional toll of supporting athlete mental health. Some practitioners considered their role to be exclusively performance enhancement, whereas others placed mental health at the center of their practice. Challenges arose when practitioners and sporting organizations held conflicting perceptions of the sport psychologist role in relation to athlete mental health. Practitioners shared the emotional toll of responding to athlete mental health concerns sensitively, appropriately, and swiftly. Education and training for aspiring Sport and Exercise Psychologists should be reviewed to reflect the increasing role that practitioners are expected to play in supporting athlete mental health. We discuss strategies to reduce potential misalignment between sporting organizations’ and practitioners’ expectations of the sport psychologist role in relation to mental health. Sport psychologists are encouraged to engage with ongoing supervision and self-care strategies to manage the emotional toll of their practice. This study explored sport psychologists’ perceptions of their role in relation to athlete mental health and illness and their experiences of offering mental health support. Participants constructed diverging perceptions of their remit and role, which at times misaligned with sporting organizations’ expectations of how best to manage mental health concerns. For some, navigating athlete mental health support was described as emotionally burdensome. Professional bodies should continue to ensure education and training pathways are aligned with the evolving role of sport psychologists in relation to supporting athlete mental health.Professional bodies should effectively communicate the role and professional remit of sport psychologists to both practitioners and sporting organizations to ensure aligned expectations.Sport Psychologists are encouraged to engage with continued professional development and ongoing supervision in relation to athlete mental health and illness to support their practice. Professional bodies should continue to ensure education and training pathways are aligned with the evolving role of sport psychologists in relation to supporting athlete mental health. Professional bodies should effectively communicate the role and professional remit of sport psychologists to both practitioners and sporting organizations to ensure aligned expectations. Sport Psychologists are encouraged to engage with continued professional development and ongoing supervision in relation to athlete mental health and illness to support their practice.