Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Novel Smartphone Music Application on Anxiety and Sleep in Elite Soccer Coaches

Consideration of Mental Health and Well-Being in High-Level Sport: When Will a Coach-Centred Approach Be Introduced?

Coverage of problems relating to mental health and well-being is gaining ground in the sports sector today, both in the media and in the scientific literature. Despite exposure to numerous stressors and suffering from poor mental health, coaches have in general been largely overlooked in the scientific literature. Previous studies have mainly focused upon athlete populations. The absence of research means that there are real shortcomings in both understanding the mechanisms involved in the deterioration of coaches' mental health and well-being and in the lack of specific support systems available. This paper first describes findings from the recent, albeit quite scarce, research investigating mental health and well-being in coaches. It then proposes a number of avenues for research and support protocols, both of which are currently ongoing at the French Football Federation Research Centre. The aim is to help support these key participants in the sports sector who arguably have not been given sufficient consideration until now.

The Mental Health of Elite-Level Coaches: A Systematic Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Elite-level coaches are exposed to multiple performance, organisational and personal stressors which may contribute to reduced mental health and wellbeing. This systematic scoping review examined the current body of evidence to explore what is known about the mental health of elite-level coaches (i.e. wellbeing and mental ill-health), the risk and protective factors that influence coach mental health, and the relationship between mental health and coaching effectiveness.

METHODS

The review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A systematic search was undertaken and updated in September 2022 using six electronic databases.

RESULTS

12,376 studies were identified and screened, with 42 studies satisfying the inclusion criteria. Despite the paucity of high-quality research, findings indicated that 40% of the included studies examined themes connected to wellbeing, with 76% assessing the nature or prevalence of mental ill-health in elite-level coaches. Among studies exploring mental ill-health, coach burnout was the primary focus, while scant research examined symptoms associated with clinical disorders (e.g. anxiety and depression). Overall, psychological outcomes for elite-level coaches were shaped by risk and protective factors operating at the individual, interpersonal, organisational and societal level. Preliminary evidence was also found to suggest that poor mental health may contribute to reduced coaching effectiveness. It is proposed that coaching effectiveness could therefore be employed as a 'hook' to engage elite-level coaches in greater consideration of their mental health needs.

CONCLUSION

Alongside the development of methodologically robust research, there is a need to examine dynamic individual (e.g. psychological skills), interpersonal (e.g. strong social supports) and organisational (e.g. workload) factors that aim to preserve the mental health and optimise the efficacy of elite-level coaches.

THE CLINICAL TREATMENT OF SPORTS TO RELIEVE THE DIFFICULTY OF FALLING ASLEEP

ABSTRACT Introduction: Difficulty falling asleep is connected to the malfunctioning of the sleep and wakefulness mechanism of the human body caused by various reasons. There are a series of adverse reactions resulting from abnormal or poor quality of sleep during sleep per se. This symptom severely affects an individual's physical condition and mental health. Objective: To explore the effect of physical exercise on patients with difficulty falling asleep. Methods: Mathematical statistics were used to analyze 60 patients with difficulty falling asleep. We divided the patients into a sports group and a control group. The patients in the sports group took sports training, while the control group did not. After two weeks of intervention and comparison, we used mathematical statistics to evaluate the groups’ cognitive function. Results: After physical exercise, the patient's sleep quality was higher and sleep disorders were reduced. Conclusion: Physical activity is a simple and popular way of exercising. It is effective in improving the cognitive function of patients with difficulty falling asleep. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.