{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T04:53:33Z","timestamp":1787806413683,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"15","funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003965","name":"International Olympic Committee","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["IOC 2024 PhD Students and ECA\u2019s Grant"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IOC 2024 PhD Students and ECA\u2019s Grant"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003965","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Br J Sports Med"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,21]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To investigate challenges associated with mental health help-seeking among Olympic and Paralympic coaches. The study also sought to identify which challenges were most important and feasible to address.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study employed a mixed-methods group concept mapping methodology. Participants brainstormed, sorted (into groups) and rated (for importance and feasibility) statements on 5-point Likert scales in response to the prompt, \u2018What makes it challenging for an Olympic or Paralympic coach to seek help for their mental health?\u2019. Nineteen Olympic coaches, Paralympic coaches and mental health professionals participated.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Participants brainstormed 68 unique statements. Ranked by importance, 10 core clusters of challenges were identified: (1) pressures and instability within high-performance sports environments, (2) stigma associated with mental health help-seeking, (3) lack of prioritisation for own mental health care, (4) lack of environmental safety to seek mental health support, (5) lack of adequate mental health literacy, (6) time constraints, (7) expectations to manage role-related pressures, (8) misconceptions about mental resilience, (9) lack of access to mental health support, and (10) hesitance to engage with mental health practitioners. A \u2018lack of adequate mental health literacy\u2019 and \u2018pressures and instability within high-performance sports environments\u2019 were rated the most and least feasible challenges to address, respectively.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>While dynamic individual factors with high feasibility may offer short-term solutions (eg, mental health literacy), sports organisations should prioritise eliminating culturally embedded barriers deterring coaches from seeking help. Considering their unique insights, coaches and mental health professionals should play an active role in developing psychological supports for coaches.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsports-2024-109247","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,4]],"date-time":"2025-06-04T05:32:38Z","timestamp":1749015158000},"page":"1063-1072","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Olympic and Paralympic coaches\u2019 perceived barriers to mental health help-seeking: a concept mapping study"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"59","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1684-6612","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joshua","family":"Frost","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia"},{"name":"Elite Sports and Mental Health, Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0835-2310","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Courtney C","family":"Walton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Elite Sports and Mental Health, Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia"},{"name":"Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4764-2361","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alex","family":"Donaldson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Sport and Social Impact, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia"},{"name":"Australian IOC Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4045-8553","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simon M","family":"Rice","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Elite Sports and Mental Health, Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia"},{"name":"Movember Institute of Men\u2019s Health, Richmond, Victoria, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7912-6073","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rosemary","family":"Purcell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia"},{"name":"Elite Sports and Mental Health, Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025121506050577000_59.15.1063.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/s40798-023-00655-8","article-title":"The Mental Health of Elite-Level Coaches: A Systematic Scoping Review","volume":"10","author":"Frost","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sports Med Open"},{"key":"2025121506050577000_59.15.1063.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychsport.2017.08.005"},{"key":"2025121506050577000_59.15.1063.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/s40798-022-00479-y","article-title":"Prevalence and Correlates of Mental Health Symptoms and Well-Being Among Elite Sport Coaches and High-Performance Support Staff","volume":"8","author":"Pilkington","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sports Med Open"},{"key":"2025121506050577000_59.15.1063.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1123\/iscj.2020-0066"},{"key":"2025121506050577000_59.15.1063.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.asmr.2023.04.017","article-title":"Supporting The Mental Health Of Elite-Level Coaches Through Early Intervention","volume":"5","author":"Frost","year":"2023","journal-title":"Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil"},{"key":"2025121506050577000_59.15.1063.6","unstructured":"Grey M , Mallett CJ , O\u2019Brien KA , et al . 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