The mental health of athletes is increasingly being recognised as a core component of professional sport. Athletes are subject to an array of sport-specific stressors, and a range of demographic and sport-specific factors that have been shown to influence athlete mental health. Acknowledging the complexity of athlete mental health, a number of consensus statements have outlined the need for more empirical research. For example, within cricket, there is a lack of high-quality research which is problematic because of the reports of high-profile cricketers experiencing mental health-related problems. These reports and anecdotal evidence have led to the narrative that there is a mental health crisis within cricket. Collectively, recommendations from consensus statements, the lack of research within cricket, and the suggestion that the mental health of cricketers is typically poor, highlights the need for mental health-related research in cricket. Importantly, research needs to establish solid foundations regarding levels of mental health-related constructs before more nuanced investigation can be conducted.
In Chapter 1 I discuss mental health and the implications of the pandemic before reviewing mental health in sport and cricket specifically. Particular attention is given to the limitations of prior research regarding mental health and sport. I conclude Chapter 1 by outlining the research objectives for the thesis.
A consequence of conducting research within the period of this PhD is the inevitable influence of the COVID pandemic. The pandemic caused increases in the experience of anxiety and depression in the general population as well as reduced wellbeing. Within sport, findings regarding depression and anxiety mirrored that of the general population. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) implemented the use of bio-secure bubbles to enable the continuation of international cricket during the pandemic. These bubbles came with much unknown, in particular the impact they would have on mental health. In Chapter 2 I investigate the impact of bio-bubbles on mental health and test the mechanisms underlying the effects. Analyses revealed that bio-bubbles increased anxiety and depression and reduced wellbeing. Furthermore, compared to males, females were more likely to report elevated levels of anxiety and depression inside the bubble. The satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs mediated the relationship between bubble status and mental health. These data provide the first evidence of the deleterious effects (in mental health terms) of bio-secure bubbles along with understanding of mechanisms which helped to explain why bio-bubbles were detrimental.
In Chapter 3 I investigate the wellbeing of professional cricketers using focus groups. The aim was to understand wellbeing from the cricketers’ perspective with applied implications at the forefront of considerations. Findings indicate cricketers understand wellbeing through energy and
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balance. Also identified were several factors that influence cricketer wellbeing. For example, travel, injuries and finances were highlighted as barriers to cricketer wellbeing whilst relationships with psychologists and coaches were seen as facilitative to wellbeing. Because of the intended applied implications of the research, I conclude Chapter 3 by discussing the importance of understanding wellbeing through the lens of a cricketer.
In Chapter 4, I take a longitudinal approach to investigating cricketer mental health by examining changes in key mental health constructs at discrete time points in the domestic cricket season over a three-year period. To address the mental health crisis narrative, I compare these findings to research regarding the mental health of the general population. I also explore the causal relationship between alcohol and mental health constructs.
Finally, I discuss the findings from the three empirical chapters along with their theoretical, methodological, and applied implications. The thesis is then concluded by discussing its strengths and limitations, as well as providing future directions for this research area.