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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00940732

The Elite Athlete Mental Health Strategy Trial

The purpose of this study is to determine whether positive mental health help-seeking attitudes, and behaviour in elite athletes can be increased through an online intervention.

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Key information

Conditions

Mental Health Help-seeking Behavior Personal Satisfaction Psychological Well-Being

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 0200, Australia

About this study

Mental disorders account for approximately 30% of the non-fatal disease burden in Australia, with the most prevalent disorders of depression, anxiety and substance use disorders experienced by 18% of the population in any single year. These disorders are significantly more common in young adulthood than at any other stage in the lifespan. Despite the availability of effective treatments for many disorders, this high susceptibility in young people is coupled with low rates of seeking professional help. As elite athletes have been found to have less positive attitudes towards seeking help for mental health issues, and they are most often young adults themselves, they may be even less likely than non-athletes to utilise professional services. Although there is a strong relationship between exercise and positive mental health, the prevalence of mental disorders in elite athletes is currently not known. A literature review of the general literature on help seeking and a series of focus groups with elite athletes from the Australian Institute of Sport conducted by the current research group in 2008, suggested that help-seeking by these athletes might be increased by improving their knowledge about mental health, reducing stigma, and providing feedback about the symptoms of common mental disorders.

The current project was designed to test these possibilities utilising an online format. The Elite Athlete Mental health Strategy (TEAMS) project comprises two phases: (1) a large scale survey of the mental health status of elite athletes; (2) a randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of three interventions designed to increase help seeking attitudes and help seeking behaviours related to mental disorders in elite athletes. These three interventions are: destigmatisation and mental health literacy; feedback; and a help-seeking list of resources. The study aims to compare the effectiveness of these three interventions relative to each other and a control condition.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Invited through sports organisation
  • Elite athlete
  • Able to read English

Exclusion criteria

  • None.

Treatment and study plan

Destigmatisation and Mental Health Literacy

Other

Written material delivered over 2 weeks via the Internet, including "mythbusters", debunking common myths around anxiety and depression, as well information about a range of celebrities who have identified themselves as having depression or anxiety. Also contains mental health literacy information.

Help-seeking list

Other

List of sources for mental health help-seeking delivered over 2 weeks.

feedback

Other

Written material delivered over 2 weeks via the Internet, including two short self-report measures (Goldberg Anxiety, Goldberg Depression), which will provide feedback to the participant about levels of depression and anxiety.

Primary outcomes

  1. Help-seeking attitudes (Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help: Shortened Form, ATSPPH-SF)

    Time frame: Baseline, post, 3 month, and 6 month follow-up

Secondary outcomes

  1. Help-seeking behaviour, and Help-seeking intentions (General Help-Seeking Questionnaire, GHSQ)

    Time frame: Baseline, post, 3 month, and 6 month follow-up

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Amelia Gulliver

Other

Collaborators

  • Australian Institute of Sport

Registry information

Official study title

The Elite Athlete Mental Health Strategy: A Randomised Controlled Trial of an Online Intervention for the Mental Health Help-Seeking of Elite Athletes

Acronym: TEAMS

Important dates

Study start
2009
Primary completion
2011
Study completion
2011
First posted
Jul 16, 2009
Registry last updated
Jun 26, 2015

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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