New research urges rethink of mental health support for elite athletes
Current approaches can be out of touch with lived realities, according to the study
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There should be a rethink of mental health support for elite athletes, according to new research led by the University of Stirling.
Current approaches to mental health in sport are too clinical, Westernised, and can be out of touch with the lived realities of athletes in low- and middle-income countries, according to the study.
Dr Andrew Kirkland, Lecturer in Sports Coaching in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport at the University of Stirling, led the research which involved a diverse team of international experts.
Dr Kirkland said: “We argue that global efforts to support elite athletes often rely on Western biomedical models that assume access to robust health systems.
“This assumption fails unless referral processes are clearly defined, well-supported and tackle the causes of poor mental health.”
The paper, published in the journal Sports Medicine, calls for solutions that are grounded in local culture, community experience, and the resources available to athletes.
It shines a spotlight on the complex and often overlooked mental health challenges faced by Kenya’s world-renowned distance runners.
Kenya has produced some of the most successful distance runners in history, but behind the medals and records many athletes face a hidden struggle.
In rural parts of Kenya, where most elite runners come from, access to mental health services is severely limited. Cultural beliefs, stigma, and economic pressures further complicate the picture.
In a society where endurance running is often seen as a path out of poverty, the pressure to succeed can be overwhelming – particularly for young athletes hoping to emulate stars such as Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon.
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Lecturer in Sports Coaching, Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport
The wider mental discourse in sport should be framed more comprehensively...particularly in low- and middle-income countries
The authors of the research argue that the International Olympic Committee’s 2019 consensus statement on elite athletes, while well-intentioned, must better reflect the cultural and structural realities in countries like Kenya.
Dr Kirkland said: “We suggest that the consensus statement and the wider mental discourse in sport should be framed more comprehensively. This framing needs to reflect the complex and context-specific nature of mental health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
“This context specific approach could be expanded to mental health in settings other than sport, such as youth organisations.”
The study, Cultural context and mental health: a Kenyan elite athletes perspective, makes four recommendations:
• Co-create evidence in which the perspectives of stakeholders who are not clinicians are given more importance.
• Focus on establishing treatments and interventions that reflect the complex, context-specific and culturally sensitive nature of mental health.
• Have deeper awareness of and focus on issues that cut across different mental health conditions when developing sustainable processes and treatments.
• Develop treatments that can be realistically accessed by and tailored to the needs of athletes, and that can be delivered by non-specialists.
Contributors to the paper included: Professor Anna C. Whittaker, Dr Stephen Chinn, University of Stirling; Professor Michael Boit, Kenyatta University; Dr Michael Crawley, Durham University; Professor David Ndetei, University of Nairobi; Dr Irene Chesire, Moi University; Paul Ochieng, Dean of Students, Strathmore University.