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- Ackeret, Nadja, et al.
(author)
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Six-month stability of individual differences in sports coaches’ burnout, self-compassion and social support
- 2022
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In: Psychology of Sport And Exercise. - : Elsevier. - 1469-0292 .- 1878-5476. ; 61, s. 237-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using a three-wave prospective cross-lagged panel design, the study examined six-month stability of burnout, self-compassion and social support among sports coaches in terms of measurement invariance, mean-level change, rank-order stability, and structural stability. The participating coaches (N = 422; Mage = 44.48, SD = 11.03) completed an online questionnaire measuring self-compassion, social support, coach burnout and demographics at baseline and two follow-ups at three months and six months. The various forms of stability were assessed using structural equation modeling. There was no significant mean-level change in burnout, self-compassion, or social support, and all three constructs exhibited measurement invariance. Rank-order stability remained relatively high, ranging from 0.78 to 0.94 across the three time points. For all three constructs, covariances between latent factors were invariant over time, indicating high structural stability. While self-compassion and social support were positively related, both were negatively related to coach burnout. These results confirm the importance of preventing and addressing symptoms of burnout, low self-compassion and poor social support in sports settings.
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| 2. |
- Alexander, Danielle, et al.
(author)
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Exploring the experiences and perceptions of coaches, athletes, and integrated support teams towards the management of three national Paralympic teams.
- 2024
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In: Psychology of Sport And Exercise. - : Elsevier. - 1469-0292 .- 1878-5476. ; 71
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study explored the experiences and perceptions of coaches, athletes, and integrated support teams towards the management of three Paralympic teams across North America and Europe. Six focus groups with athletes, three interviews with head coaches, and 10 interviews with support team members were conducted and analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis. Our analysis resulted in three overarching themes to portray the coaches' role and behaviours in managing their (1) athletes, (2) integrated support teams, and (3) team as a collective unit. All teams were made up of a diverse group of athletes that required individualized considerations regarding age, finances, and disability. Coaches were successful when they fostered autonomy and managed interpersonal conflict by utilizing their integrated support teams to foster cohesiveness. This study provides an in-depth view of the role of the coach in managing national parasport teams by incorporating multiple perspectives from three teams around the world.
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Mitchell, et al.
(author)
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Symptoms of depression and anxiety among elite high school student-athletes in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic : A repeated cross-sectional study
- 2023
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In: Journal of Sports Sciences. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0264-0414 .- 1466-447X. ; 41:9, s. 874-883
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated numerous changes in daily life, including the cancellation and restriction of sports globally. Because sports participation contributes positively to the development of student-athletes, restricting these activities may have led to long-term mental health changes in this population. Using a repeated cross-sectional study design, we measured rates of depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 scale in student-athletes attending elite sport high schools in Sweden during the second wave of the pandemic (February 2021; n = 7021) and after all restrictions were lifted (February 2022; n = 6228). Depression among student-athletes decreased from 19.8% in 2021 to 17.8% in 2022 (p = .008, V = .026), while anxiety screening did not change significantly (17.4% to 18.4%, p > .05). Comparisons between classes across years revealed older students exhibited decreases in depressive symptoms, while younger cohorts experienced increases in symptoms of anxiety from 2021 to 2022. Logistic regressions revealed that being female, reporting poorer mental health due to COVID-19, and excessive worry over one’s career in sports were significant predictors of both depression and anxiety screenings in 2022. Compared to times when sports participation was limited, the lifting of restrictions was associated with overall reduced levels of depression, but not anxiety.
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| 7. |
- Belz, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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A qualitative analysis of Swedish sport psychology practitioners' experience of a continued professional development program.
- 2024
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0905-7188 .- 1600-0838. ; 34:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Although sport psychology practitioners and researchers acknowledge the importance of continued professional development (CPD) for professional effectiveness and excellence, few studies have explored the influence of CPD activities on the practitioners' practice and thinking. This study examined qualified Swedish sport psychology practitioners' experiences of engaging in a CPD program and how it impacted their professional development. The Swedish Sports Confederation offers a CPD program that targets performance enhancement services and psychotherapy for sport psychology practitioners. We explored the influence of this CPD program on the professional development of 13 graduates (five females; age in years: M = 41.2, SD = 8.3) via semi-structured interviews. Our stance involved a realist ontology and constructionist epistemology. We followed the six-step Reflexive Thematic Analysis procedures to analyze data. We identified four themes of CPD: (1) Critique (participants decided to do the CPD program because of perceived gaps in their knowledge and skills), (2) Change (participants discussed several changes as a result of the CPD program), (3) Context (participants discussed the aspects of the CPD program that promoted change), and (4) Challenge (participants mentioned issues related to having completed the program). The study provides insights into the value of CPD activities for sport psychology practitioners, advances current knowledge on practitioner maturation, and illustrates how CPD fits within a practitioner's lifelong learning. Future research could investigate the professional development of mid-career sport psychology practitioners engaging in other CPD programs to confirm or extend this work.
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| 8. |
- Belz, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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A Qualitative Analysis of Swedish Sport Psychology Practitioners’ Experiences of a Continuing Education Program
- 2022
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In: Proceedings from the 16th European Congress of Sport & Exercise Psychology (FEPSAC). - : FEPSAC. ; , s. 494-
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- IntroductionAlthough sport psychology practitioners acknowledge the benefits of continued professional development (CPD), few studies have explored the influence of such activities on the practitioners’ practice and thinking (Quarteroli et al., 2021). This study aimed to examine qualified sport psychology practitioners’ experiences engaging in a CPD program and how it impacted their professional development.MethodsThe Swedish Sports Confederation offers a CPD programme that targets performance enhancement services and psychotherapy for sport psychology practitioners. We explored the influence of this CPD program on the professional development of thirteen graduates (five female; age in years: M = 41.2, SD = 8.3) via semi-structured interviews. Our stance involved a realist ontology and constructionist epistemology (Elder-Vass, 2012). We followed the six-step reflexive thematic analysis procedures to analyze data (Braun et al., 2019).ResultsFour themes of CPD emerged: (1) Critique (participants decided to do the CPD course because of perceived gaps in their knowledge and skills), (2) Change (participants discussed changes they experienced as a result of the course), (3) Context (participants discussed the aspects of the CPD course that helped them change), and (4) Challenge (participants mentioned issues related to having completed the course).DiscussionThe study provides insights into the value of CPD education for sport psychology practitioners, helps bolster confidence in current knowledge on practitioner maturation and illustrates how CPD fits within a practitioner’s lifelong learning. Future research could investigate the professional development of other mid-career sport psychology practitioners to confirm or extend this work.
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| 9. |
- Bentzen, Marte, et al.
(author)
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Elite Football Coaches Experiences and Sensemaking about Being Fired : An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
- 2020
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In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 17:14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Chronic job insecurity seems to be a prominent feature within elite sport, where coaches work under pressure of dismissals if failing to meet performance expectations of stakeholders. The aim of the current study was to get a deeper understanding of elite football coaches' experiences of getting fired and how they made sense of that process.METHOD: A qualitative design using semi-structured interviews was conducted with six elite football coaches who were fired within the same season. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was chosen as framework to analyze the data.RESULTS: The results reflected five emerging themes: Acceptance of having an insecure job, working for an unprofessional organization and management, micro-politics in the organization, unrealistic and changing performance expectation, and emotional responses.CONCLUSION: All coaches expressed awareness and acceptance regarding the risk of being fired. However, they experienced a lack of transparency and clear feedback regarding the causes of dismissal. This led to negative emotional reactions as the coaches experienced being evaluated by poorly defined expectations and by anonymous stakeholders. Sports organizations as employers should strive to be transparent during dismissal. In addition, job insecurity is a permanent stressor for coaches and should be acknowledged and targeted within coach education.
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