Supplementary information files for "A multi-disciplinary team perspective of understanding and supporting athlete mental health and illness in elite sport"

Supplementary files for article "A multi-disciplinary team perspective of understanding and supporting athlete mental health and illness in elite sport"<br><br>A multi-disciplinary approach is considered best practice when supporting athlete mental health and illness within elite sport. However, research is yet to explore how multi-disciplinary teams operate in this area. This study explores how multi-disciplinary team staff understand mental health and illness and how they negotiate the interpersonal dynamics and tensions of a multi-disciplinary approach to supporting athletes. We conducted five focus groups with a total of 19 participants across a range of professions, including: sport psychologists (n = 6); coaches (n = 4); physiotherapists (n = 2); performance lifestyle advisors (n = 2); clinical psychologists (n = 2); player care managers (n = 2); and a doctor (n = 1). Eight hours of data were collected, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. We constructed three primary themes: 1) an (over)medicalised understanding of athlete mental health concerns; 2) division within multi-disciplinary teams; and 3) tensions when negotiating confidentiality. Staff showed an over-medicalised understanding of mental health and illness and expressed uncertainty in recognising and supporting sub-clinical mental health concerns. Participants spoke of the divide between coaching staff and science and medicine staff and suggested diverging priorities surrounding mental health and performance. Negotiating confidentiality was a challenge for multi-disciplinary teams, with mental health information guarded by some staff, leaving other staff feeling isolated. However, it was acknowledged that some mental health information must be withheld from coaches due to mental illness stigma. Guidance regarding sub-clinical concerns and the handling of confidential mental health information within multi-disciplinary teams should be developed to encourage effective collaboration within sporting organisations.<br><br>© The Authors, CC BY 4.0<br>