Compassion in Athletes

Sport faces a mental health crisis, with many athletes experiencing issues affecting performance and wellbeing. Athletes are at increased risk for poor mental health, as features of competitive sport participation may lead to negative experiences; particularly for young females, who tend to be highly self-critical1. Yet young athletes are low on help-seeking behaviours and do not routinely access support. There is a recognised need for increased compassion in response to the mental health challenges. Considerable emerging evidence supports the promotion of self-compassion as a resource to positively impact performance and wellbeing2. However, fears of compassion is a barrier, where athletes devalue the concept through perceived associations with weakness2. Initial interventions have shown promise, with benefits such as reduced self-criticism, rumination, and excessive concern over mistakes, compared to an attention control group3. This research has been predominantly Canadian-based, pointing to a need to test in a UK setting, and has not yet explored compassion longitudinally.
Aims
This PhD will make a novel contribution by exploring the feasibility of a compassion intervention in young UK female athletes. It will explore barriers and facilitators, and performance and wellbeing outcomes.
Key questions:
-Can a sport-specific intervention increase compassion in young UK female athletes and improve performance and wellbeing?
-How are performance, wellbeing, and compassion interrelated?
- How does compassion function over time?

Methodology
Participants
500 female athletes (aged 18-25) from various sports, and coaches and captains.
Outcomes
Quantitative: Main outcome variables of athlete performance and wellbeing.
Qualitative: Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with athletes, captains, and coaches; reflexive photo analysis; establishment of help-seeking behaviour.
Studies
1. Longitudinal study spanning 1.5 years, exploring the feasibility study design and unpacking theoretical questions, including how to adapt existing measures for use in sport; and exploring reciprocal relationships between variables that can only be captured longitudinally.
2. Preparation for the feasibility study by establishing intervention specifics, namely intervention schedule, delivery model, and feasibility of data collection methods.
3. Feasibility study delivering the intervention in preparation for a future Randomised Controlled Trial. The study will determine acceptability, including randomisation procedure, recruitment methods, data collection, additional needs, and fears of compassion.
Significance
The project will determine the acceptability and appeal of a UK intervention, establishing to what extent coaches are educated and equipped on athlete support. It meets a strategic priority around shaping society, by facilitating the development of moral sportspersonship, supporting athletes to be conscientious members of society and positive role models4 in line with the moral responsibility agenda in sport. Broader implications concern the mindfulness for social change movement, highlighting compassion's potential to contribute towards sustainable development goals, such as the environmental impact of mega-events.
References
1. Killham, M.E., et al. (2018). Women athletes' self-compassion, self-criticism, and perceived sport performance. Sport Exerc. Perform. Psychol., 7(3), 297.
2. Mosewich, A.D., et al. (2019). Enhancing capacity: Integrating self-compassion in sport. J Sport Psychol Action, 10(4), 235.
3. Mosewich, A.D., et al. (2013). Applying self-compassion in sport: An intervention with women athletes. J Sport Exercise Psy, 35, 514.
4. Halsted, L. (2018). https://www.thetrueathleteproject.org/blog/a-more-compassionate-culture-of-sport.