Stakeholder conceptualizations of mental health and mental illness in English Premier League Football academies

Research aim: Mental health is often a misunderstood concept in sport. Additionally, little is known about how the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) has impacted the conceptualizations of mental health and mental illness in stakeholders working in English Premier League (EPL) environments. The present study aimed to understand EPL academy support staff's (n = 8) perceptions, knowledge, and understanding of mental health and mental illness.Research methods: Researchers employed semi-structured interviews grounded in the Dual-Continua Model of Mental health (Keyes, 2002) and engaged in reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021a).Results: Results demonstrated inconsistent conceptualizations of mental health and mental illness. EPL academies were potentially mental health illiterate and lacked clear strategies to treat and prevent mental illness or promote mental health.Implications: Findings may be attributed to a culture that stigmatizes help-seeking, lack of understanding of the spectrum of mental health, and limited resources offered at club and regulatory body level. Importantly, EPL stakeholders should engage in robust, relevant training in preparation for applied practice; in line with this, the present study has implications for the training of EPL support staff.Research contribution: This study provides us with a deeper understanding of the mental health literacy of EPL academy support staff and that of their organizations.