Almost half of all Australians will experience mental ill-health in their lifetime, and the negative impacts on all domains of life can be profound. Mental health exists on a continuum across many domains and so while Talent Pathways, AFL and AFLW Players have higher rates of wellbeing than the general Australian population, mental health conditions are also observed in athlete populations at rates that are similar to the general population.

Mental healthcare in elite sport requires a whole system approach. Research from our team is contributing to better understanding athlete mental health and how best to create environments that support mental health and wellbeing.

Frameworks for promoting mental health in elite sport

A series of frameworks and models that set the direction for enhancing and protecting mental health and wellbeing in elite sport have been developed in collaboration with AFL researchers.

• An Evidence informed framework to promote mental wellbeing in elite sport - Frontiers | An Evidence-Informed Framework to Promote Mental Wellbeing in Elite Sport
• A model of psychological safety in elite sport - Psychological Safety for Mental Health in Elite Sport: A Theoretically Informed Model | Sports Medicine | Springer Nature Link
• A position stand outlining an occupational health and safety approach to promoting mental health within elite sport organisations - org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Mental-health-through-occupational-health-and-safety-in-high-performance-sport-2021.pdf
• A position stand on mental health of elite athletes - International society of sport psychology position stand: elite athlete mental health revisited: International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology: Vol 22 , No 4 - Get Access

Neurodiversity in elite sport

Neurodiversity in elite sport is a growing area of focus and research, as there is very limited research in this area. The AFL has been involved in two leading studies in Neurodiversity in elite sport.

• The first study found that although neurodivergence—particularly ADHD—is present in elite sport, research is extremely limited, with most studies focusing narrowly on concussion and ADHD management while gaps remain regarding autism, lived experiences, and evidence‑informed inclusive practices. Neurodiversity in elite sport: a systematic scoping review | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
• The second study highlights how neurodiversity can interconnect with mental health and wellbeing of elite athletes and outlines a direction for inclusive, informed, and supportive approaches for neurodiversity within high‑performance sport. Neurodiversity and the mental health and well-being of elite athletes | British Journal of Sports Medicine

Supporting mental health in elite sport

Prevention, early identification, and mental health promotion are important for protecting athlete mental health, and most research in sport has focused on these areas. Even with promotion and prevention in place, sometimes athletes will experience mental ill-health and there is less research into the best ways to respond to or treat mental health conditions for athletes and the context of high-performance sport. The AFL is investing in research into responding to mental ill-health for athletes.

• A study was conducted with AFL Club doctors to understand their role in supporting the mental health of AFL Players. A research snapshot of the findings is Here and the full paper Role of club doctors in the mental health management of Australian rules football players: a Delphi study | British Journal of Sports Medicine

Elite Youth Athletes are a unique group that is receiving growing research attention. The scientific literature supports that elite youth athletes experience both universal and sport-related mental health risks. For adolescent athletes, there can be additional challenges in this life stage where athletes are balancing sport development alongside key stages of life development. To support elite youth athletes, mental health prevention and promotion for this group is needed and elite sport environments can also provide an opportunity to nurture mental health and wellbeing skills.

For those youth athletes who progress into the elite level, building wellbeing and mental skills can help with protecting and promoting mental health and performance into transition into elite levels. With consideration of models of youth development, the AFL’s research guides how to support elite youth athletes to build wellbeing and support transition readiness.

• A Mental Fitness Model for the AFL Talent Pathways is proposed to meet the mental wellbeing needs of young high-performance athletes, whilst also promoting positive mental health that can track into adulthood. Frontiers | Case Report: An Application of Wellbeing Science for the Development of Adolescent High-Performance Athletes in the Australian Football League
  
  
• Another study outlined the development of a wellbeing education curriculum for equipping elite youth athletes with wellbeing skills in the AFL Talent Pathways https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1189933
  
  
• A program developed for the AFL Talent Pathways to promote mental wellbeing for young high-performance athletes, was evaluated and showed that it was both feasible and acceptable https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1470726
  
  
• A study explored development of youth football players and showed that athletes in the AFL Talent Pathways had healthier development and higher wellbeing than those in community football. This study shows that Talent Pathways can provide an enriching environment that supports development of wellbeing skills for youth high-performance athletes.  https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001799

Sport is good for mental health, connection and community. Football also offers a unique opportunity to promote mental health. The AFL implements evidence-informed programs for communities and contributes to knowledge to enhance wellbeing of community participants.

• Guidelines for community sport articulate an evidence-informed approach for sport systems to actively promote wellbeing and create psychologically safe environments for all participants Development of Australian mental health guidelines for community sport.

Sport cannot exist without coaches, umpires and sport staff. These stakeholders are all key in the success of sport across all levels. Just like athletes, coaches, umpires and other staff in high-performance sport experience a range of unique pressures, however, their mental health and wellbeing is much less researched.

The AFL undertakes research to support the wellbeing of everyone in the sport system, including umpires, wellbeing and development staff, and coaches.

• This systematic literature review explored the rates of mental health symptoms in umpires across sports and levels and identified a range of protective factors The Mental Health of Sporting Officials: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | Sports Medicine | Springer Nature Link
• A systematic review and qualitative study explored enablers of wellbeing and retention of development and wellbeing staff in elite women’s sport Strengthening the players development and wellbeing workforce in the AFLW
• A framework was developed outlining the core knowledge and literacies of Sport Psychology Scientist–Practitioners working in sport The core literacies of sport psychology scientist-practitioners: International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology