abstract
Does the stigma attached to mental health restrict professional footballers seeking professional help whilst still actively playing? ABSTRACT/ Jordan Luke Broadbent Social stigma is often attached to mental illness. Mental illness is becoming more prevalent within young adults. Many studies have looked at the manifestation of mental illness within athletes.
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owever few have approached it from an interventionist point of view; because of this, it is widely though that the current research fails to consider the specific issues related to the notion of help seeking within sport. Consequently the aims of the study was to research the social stigmas that are attached to mental illness, and directly relate it to the interventionist process of help seeking within the environment of professional football.
Methodically working from a qualitative approach, ex professional footballers that have suffered with mental illness were interviewed in a semi structural manner during the data collection process. Utilising existential hermeneutic methods. It was important to undertake the data collection process from a ‘lived experience’ of industry professionals in order to create new understanding and further enhance knowledge of the topic area.
The aim of this study is to determine whether these stigmas that relate to mental illness impact the process of professional footballers seeking professional medical help whilst still actively playing. Thus adding to the current body of research.
The interviews were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Furthermore the constitution of understanding between researcher and participants hoped to align and create enhanced knowledge into the subject area. The key findings of this analysis were
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identified as masculine conformity, sporting identity, social support and stigmas of mental Illness; awareness of support mechanisms and willingness to seek help and sporting Identity. Conclusions of the study showed that; Professional footballers’ willingness to seek help for mental illness is understood to be hindered by the main themes discussed. Read full article; footballmedic.co.uk/cpdmedicine-science
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In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in BSC Sports Coaching, Sheffield Hallam University - Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, May 2017.