Driving for positive mental health and development of young golfers

This programme of research aims to tackle a significant and wide-reaching contemporary problem of mental health in sport. It will take a multi-layered qualitative approach, moving beyond the individual to explore the social, cultural, and organisational determinants of mental health in young golfers. Elite athletes are not immune to mental health problems that blight society as a whole. Rather, the intense mental and physical demands placed on high-performing athletes can increase their susceptibility. Research into elite golfers has shown an alarmingly high prevalence of problems, and the ongoing issue of mental health stigma and lack of education. This mirrors wider research, highlighting increased mental health issues linked to participation across the elite sporting domain. Whilst we know sport can positively influence well-being for young people, elite youth athletes' experiences aren't always positive, due to the multiple and unique stressors they face. At present, studies have predominantly focused on adult populations, and research investigating the mental health experiences of talented young golfers is sparse. Furthermore, research has tended to take an individual-level approach, focusing on the struggles of the individual. This raises opportunities for this programme of research to explore a more holistic, multi-level analysis of the environmental influences on young athlete's mental health, incorporating social, familial, cultural and organisational factors. This programme of research will also aim to foster positive mental health and development of young golfers, through collaboration with stakeholders and the co-construction of educational and practical resources aimed to translate significant knowledge and positively impact real-world practice.