Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32555025›Full record

ArticleMedicine and science in sports and exercise2021

An Intervention for Mental Health Literacy and Resilience in Organized Sports.

Stewart A Vella, Christian Swann, Marijka Batterham, Katherine M Boydell, Simon Eckermann, Helen Ferguson, Andrea Fogarty, Diarmuid Hurley, Sarah K Liddle, Chris Lonsdale and 7 more

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
45citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
6.0field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

45 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 118 citations in OpenAlex.

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  18. Mental health and officiating performance.Frontiers in psychology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors at 8 institutions in 3 countries.

Stewart A VellaSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, AUSTRALIA.
Christian Swann
Marijka BatterhamSchool of Mathematics and Applied Statistics, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, AUSTRALIA.
Katherine M BoydellBlack Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Randwick, AUSTRALIA.
Simon EckermannAustralian Health Services Research Institute, Sydney Business School, Faculty of Business, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, AUSTRALIA.
Helen FergusonEnglish Institute of Sport, The High Performance Centre, Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre, Bisham, Buckinghamshire, UNITED KINGDOM.
Andrea FogartyBlack Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Hospital Road, Randwick, AUSTRALIA.
Diarmuid HurleySchool of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, AUSTRALIA.
Sarah K LiddleSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, AUSTRALIA.
Chris LonsdaleInstitute for Positive Psychology and Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, AUSTRALIA.
Andrew MillerSchool of Education, University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Michael NoetelInstitute for Positive Psychology and Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, AUSTRALIA.
Anthony D OkelyEarly Start, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, AUSTRALIA.
Taren SandersInstitute for Positive Psychology and Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, AUSTRALIA.
Matthew J SchweickleSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, AUSTRALIA.
Joanne TelentaCentre for Health and Social Research, St. Patrick's Campus, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA.
Frank P DeaneIllawarra Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, AUSTRALIA.
University of Wollongong · AUAustralian Catholic University · AUUNSW Sydney · AUAustralian Institute of Business · AUEnglish Institute of Sport · GBSouthern Cross University · AUUniversity North · HRUniversity of Newcastle Australia · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeIn this study, we tested the effectiveness of a multicomponent sports-based program aimed at promoting early intervention, help seeking, and resilience among a sample of adolescent male sport participants.

methodsThe Ahead of the Game program comprised four intervention components and a messaging campaign. Two components targeted mental health literacy, intentions to seek and provide help, and resilience among adolescent boys. A mental health literacy program for parents and a coach education program to assist in the support of athletes' psychological needs were also included. We evaluated the program using a nonrandomized controlled trial matching two regional communities. In total, 350 sport participants (mean, 14.53 yr) were included in an intervention group, whereas 466 (mean, 14.66 yr) received usual practice in a matched control community. One hundred and eighty parents or caregivers and eight coaches also participated in the intervention components. Between-group mean differences on the primary and secondary outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed models, adjusted for clustering at club level, participant age, and socioeconomic status.

resultsSignificant positive group-time interactions were found for the primary outcomes of depression and anxiety literacy, intentions to seek help from formal sources, confidence to seek mental health information, and resilience. We also found a significant positive group-time interaction for the secondary outcome of well-being. There were no group-time interactions for social distance (stigma), intentions to seek help from informal sources, implicit beliefs about adversity, perceived familial support, or psychological distress.

conclusionsGiven the high rates of sport participation worldwide and the increasing focus on mental health in this domain, translation and dissemination of the program may be warranted after replication.

Indexed as

Health LiteracyMental HealthResilience, PsychologicalAdolescentChildFamilyHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansMaleMental DisordersPatient Acceptance of Health CareSocial StigmaSocial SupportStress, PsychologicalYouth Sports

Identifiers

PMID32555025
PMCPMC7737879
OpenAlexW3036055938

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.