Mental health service provision in elite sport: An evaluation of the Australian Institute of Sport Mental Health Referral Network

Abstract

While research on mental health and wellbeing in elite sports has increased, there are few studies regarding models of care for responding to mental health needs in this population. The Australian Institute of Sport established the Mental Health Referral Network (MHRN) service in 2018, initially focused on mental health care for elite athletes only, but subsequently extended to include elite coaches, high-performance support staff and sports administration staff. This study used a convergent mixed-methods service evaluation to examine service users’ experiences with the care provided by the MHRN. The quantitative component comprised an online survey with n = 84 service users (athletes, coach..