Grant: Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) program

We often focus on an athlete's physical condition, but mental health and mental illness are just as critical for success and a healthy life. An athlete's environment, from their relationship with a coach to team safety, significantly impacts their mental health. This project explores the hypothesis that strong mental performance, like managing emotions under pressure, might do more than just help win games; mental skills could also act as a protective shield for an athlete's mental health. While these skills are known to be beneficial, their specific role within the mental landscape of Canadian athletes is not yet understood. To create a complete picture of mental health in Canadian sport, our study will survey 600 athletes across levels, sports, and provinces/territories. We will examine the interplay of three key areas: their mental health (e.g., wellbeing), mental illness (e.g., anxiety and depression), and their mental performance. The primary goal is to identify distinct "mental triad" profiles of how these three areas combine in different athletes. We will then compare these profiles based on sport environment factors (e.g., coaching relationships, team safety) and personal traits (e.g., self-esteem, athletic identity). Crucially, this research seeks to understand why some athletes thrive under pressure while others struggle. We will test if strong mental performance skills are the key factor that explains this difference, acting as a protective buffer between an athlete's environment and their mental health. Ultimately, the findings will provide Canadian sport organizations with evidence-based recommendations to create psychologically safer and more supportive environments where all athletes can thrive. This research aims to equip coaches and practitioners to use mental performance training not just for winning, but as a proactive tool to protect and promote athlete mental health, aligning with Canada's Mental Health Strategy for High Performance Sport.