Sport, Work and Mental Health: A Study of Coaches in the Gaelic Athletics Association

Abstract

There exists concern across the globe around the growing prevalence of mental health (MH) issues and mental illness (MI) which has led to increasing calls for organisations, governing bodies, and clubs in sport to assess their policies and processes for supporting the individual MH needs of sports workers. To date, research has largely focused on the MH needs and support processes for athletes. Recently, more attention has been given to the MH needs and the prevalence of MI amongst elite coaches. This thesis examines the MH and work experiences of dual-career coaches in the Gaelic Athletics Association (GAA) that have not, until now, been considered in qualitative research. Focusing on a case study of coaches in Northern Ireland (NI), this thesis examines coaches’ MH experiences those of others in their interdependent networks, to better understand how these individuals manage and support their MH in their personal lives, coaching work, and non-coaching work. The thesis draws upon data generated from semi-structured interviews (SSIs) that were conducted with 34 GAA coaches. The analysis reported in this thesis reveals that coaches share various lived experiences of chronic and episodic MI, including depression and anxiety, as well as attempted suicide and suicidal ideation. The thesis extends existing analyses of coaching work by revealing the significance of work as a social determinant of coach MH, as coaches are subject to shame, stigma, and stress in their non-coaching and coaching-oriented work. In addition, the nuances and complexities of MH experiences show that coaching work has a largely positive impact on coach MH. Drawing on figurational sociology and key sociological ideas from sociologists, like Goffman and Scheff, a more reality-congruent idea of coach MH is presented. Eliasian concepts of figurations and interdependency, power and intended and unintended consequences complement classic sociological works on shame and stigma, to emphasise the relational and context-specific aspects of MH. Coaching work engendered pleasurable feelings, authentic emotions, and a greater sense of purpose for coaches in their leisure time that contrasts with the individualised, precarious, and stressful nature of non-coaching work. Yet, simultaneously, coaches can be constrained to support the complex MH needs of other individuals in Gaelic games due to the ad-hoc way that MH support in the GAA is formulated and enacted. Ultimately, the thesis eschews the typically reductionist perspective of MH in sport to demonstrate that the coaches’ interdependent networks and social relationships, inside and away from coaching and non-coaching work, have a significant impact on MH.

Date of Award	9 Oct 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Edge Hill University
Supervisor	ANDY SMITH (Director of Studies), DAVID HAYCOCK (Supervisor) & EMILY LOVETT (Supervisor)