ISSN: 2995-0155
Authors: Nosworthy K and Telles-Langdon D*
This study explored the perceptions of retired elite Canadian Taekwondo athletes regarding their National Sport Organization’s responsibilities for reporting, managing, and preventing athletes’ mental health issues. Using qualitative interviews and a situational analysis of the data, results show that the majority of those interviewed in this study struggled with a mental health issue while competing at an elite level, and all the participants reported seeing a teammate struggle, at one time or another, with a mental health issue. Participants in this study identified three major areas in which Taekwondo Canada can help athletes with mental health issues: 1) providing education to coaches and athletes; 2) providing a reporting structure that is independent and confidential, and 3) providing greater access to clinical psychologists on an ongoing basis.
Keywords: Taekwondo; Mental-Health; Qualitative; Thematic Analysis; Sport Psychology
