METHODS article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Sport Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1633397
This article is part of the Research TopicMental Health in Recreational and Elite SportsView all 26 articles
Mental Health Support within Professional Soccer Academies: Clarifying the Roles of Psychologists, Player Care Staff and Clinicians
Provisionally accepted
- 1Burnley Football Club, Burnley, United Kingdom
- 2Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Surveys of professional soccer players mental health (MH) difficulties reveal a prevalence either equal or higher compared to the general population. It is suggested that under reporting of problems occurs because of the stigma associated with disclosing difficulties, poor MH literacy, and concerns about deselection. This paper presents a stepped-care pathway of MH support, together with a discussion about the optimal manner by which this support can be provided. While suggesting that enhancing the MH of players is 'everyone's business', particular focus is given to the work of sports psychologists (SP), members of the player care team, and specialist MH clinicians. The use of such a pathway is discussed within a professional soccer club, and issues about communication, confidentiality and competition are debated. The pros and cons of employing a qualified MH clinician within a club are also discussed, as well as the conditions required for such an appointment to work effectively.
Keywords: Football, mental illness, distress, Psychotherapy, Pathway, Stepped-care,
Received: 22 May 2025; Accepted: 22 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 James and Turner. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Martin James Turner, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
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