Project Type(s):
Population Health/Implementation

Many sport organizations are increasingly vocal about the importance of athlete mental health. Helping organizations move beyond rhetoric to improved athlete wellbeing and safety requires evidence-based resources that are setting-appropriate and feasibly implemented.

This project will develop and obtain feasibility and acceptability data on “Time Out for Mental Health”—a mental health first aid training for sport coaches. This will be accomplished by adapting an existing evidence-based mental health first aid resource to the coach role and sport setting, working closely with a small group of coach partners. The team will focus on ensuring the training is considered useful and feasible by coaches who work in resource deprived school and community-settings given the heightened needs and challenges of youth in such settings, and will train coaches to deliver “Time Out for Mental Health”—to build organizational capacity. “Time Out for Mental Health”—has the potential to strengthen connections between sports organizations and school- and community-based mental health services for millions of adolescents as more than half of high school students play at least one organized school or community sport.

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