Mental health study: The ‘public health challenge’ in grassroots sport

More coaches responded to the study than any other role in sport, with 57% of grassroots coaches saying they had experienced mental health issues during their careers, compared to 46% of elite coaches.

Of all the coaches surveyed, 44% said they currently experienced mental illness, but over half of those admitted they did not feel confident speaking to others in their organisation about their mental health.

Timberlake was named Disability Coach of the Year by UK Coaching and currently coaches two pan-disability football teams.

“It can be stressful at times and being a woman it’s sometimes hard being heard in the male dominated sports, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” she told BBC Sport.

“In sport it’s the ones that shout the loudest that get noticed and get what they need. For someone with mental health issues who suffers in silence the help never seeks them out. I hope this will change one day.”

Volunteers also reported high levels of lifetime mental illness (64%), with almost half (47%) saying they are currently experiencing mental illness.

One male running coach told the study that he believed revealing his past mental health problems could affect his career.

“I believed that my past would have a negative impact [on] the trust relationship you build with your athletes as a coach, if other people knew”, he said.