Start Date
17-6-2025 9:00 AM
End Date
17-6-2025 10:30 AM
Abstract
Quality sport experiences may protect athlete mental health. Sport staff contribute to supporting quality sport for athletes with disabilities. This study examined (1a) elements of quality participation disability sport staff prioritize when considering athlete mental health, (1b) the relationship between staff’s use compared to perceptions of others’ use of quality participation elements in disability sport, and (2) disability sport coaches, team managers, and technical directors’ preferences, wants, and needs for a mental health educational resource. Participants (N=30; Mage=43.5 years; 19 coaches, 4 directors, 7 managers) completed the Measure of Experiential Aspects of Participation (1 to 7 scale) to assess their awareness and use of the quality participation framework’s six experiential elements (autonomy, belongingness, challenge, engagement, mastery, meaning). Wilcoxon signed ranks tests revealed no significant differences in the perceived importance of the experiential elements for general versus mental health-specific contexts (Zs=-1.8-.00, ps=0.08-0.42). Own use of the experiential elements was significantly correlated with perceptions of others’ use (rs=0.42-0.68, ps<0.02, CI=-0.11-0.57) except for autonomy (r=0.26, p=0.17). Participants rated their own use higher (Ms=5.1-6.1) than perceptions of others’ use (Ms=4.9-5.5), suggesting self-enhancement bias. Participants emphasized the need for mental health education on supporting mental health awareness and coping strategies (n=9), athlete-focused content (n=20), coach-specific strategies (n=9), with the inclusion of practical examples (n=4). Preferred delivery methods were live interactive virtual sessions (53.3%), with a preference for group settings (67%). Preferred session length ranged from 30 minutes to three hours, with longer durations acceptance for interactive or in-person formats. Disability sport coaches may benefit from strategies to implement quality participation elements and there is buy-in for a tailored mental health resource to enhance disability sport staff understanding of how the quality of the sport environment can enhance athlete well-being in disability sport.
Recommended Citation
O'Rourke, Roxy H.; Sabiston, Catherine M.; Bundon, Andrea; and Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Kelly P., "How do we get a[head] of the game?: An examination of disability sport staff understandings of quality sport and athlete mental health in disability sport and an exploration of disability sport staff preferences for a mental health educational resource in disability sport" (2025). International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity and International Symposium on Physical Activity and Visual Impairment and Deafblindness. 12.
https://sword.cit.ie/isapa/2025/day2/12
How do we get a[head] of the game?: An examination of disability sport staff understandings of quality sport and athlete mental health in disability sport and an exploration of disability sport staff preferences for a mental health educational resource in disability sport
Quality sport experiences may protect athlete mental health. Sport staff contribute to supporting quality sport for athletes with disabilities. This study examined (1a) elements of quality participation disability sport staff prioritize when considering athlete mental health, (1b) the relationship between staff’s use compared to perceptions of others’ use of quality participation elements in disability sport, and (2) disability sport coaches, team managers, and technical directors’ preferences, wants, and needs for a mental health educational resource. Participants (N=30; Mage=43.5 years; 19 coaches, 4 directors, 7 managers) completed the Measure of Experiential Aspects of Participation (1 to 7 scale) to assess their awareness and use of the quality participation framework’s six experiential elements (autonomy, belongingness, challenge, engagement, mastery, meaning). Wilcoxon signed ranks tests revealed no significant differences in the perceived importance of the experiential elements for general versus mental health-specific contexts (Zs=-1.8-.00, ps=0.08-0.42). Own use of the experiential elements was significantly correlated with perceptions of others’ use (rs=0.42-0.68, ps<0.02, CI=-0.11-0.57) except for autonomy (r=0.26, p=0.17). Participants rated their own use higher (Ms=5.1-6.1) than perceptions of others’ use (Ms=4.9-5.5), suggesting self-enhancement bias. Participants emphasized the need for mental health education on supporting mental health awareness and coping strategies (n=9), athlete-focused content (n=20), coach-specific strategies (n=9), with the inclusion of practical examples (n=4). Preferred delivery methods were live interactive virtual sessions (53.3%), with a preference for group settings (67%). Preferred session length ranged from 30 minutes to three hours, with longer durations acceptance for interactive or in-person formats. Disability sport coaches may benefit from strategies to implement quality participation elements and there is buy-in for a tailored mental health resource to enhance disability sport staff understanding of how the quality of the sport environment can enhance athlete well-being in disability sport.