Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
Career development is no longer conceived as a linear process but instead viewed as unstable and transitional over the individual’s life span. Research has shown that individuals’ ability to successfully negotiate transitions has implications for their mental health, motivation and productivity. This has increased pressure on organisational support systems to put in place infrastructures to empower individuals to manage their career paths and deal with multiple transitions. This is certainly the case in Irish high performance sport where the need to enhance elite athletes’ ability to negotiate transitions and cope with mental health difficulties has been publicly highlighted by several high profile male Irish athletes. How effective an individual is in making a transition and adjusting to change depends on a number of factors including the individual’s personal resources. Career adaptability is a personal resource that is described as the individual’s ability to deal with change. Research has shown that career adaptability is malleable and highly correlated with psychological well-being. In response to the identified need of the Irish Sports Council’s, Irish Institute of Sport, the aim of this project is to develop and test an athlete transition support programme that will enhance career adaptability and psychological well-being in approximately 200 Irish Olympic and Paralympic athletes. As part of the research process, the project will explore gender issues relevant to the development of the intervention programme. It is envisioned that this research will expand the knowledge and skills of Irish service providers working with elite athletes in the area of athlete career transition. The outcomes of this study will improve current support networks around elite Irish athletes and inform policies related to improving athlete support systems and mental health.
Who can participate?
Adults who have been involved in an Irish high-performance sport programme
What does the study involve?
Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups: the intervention or the control group.
In the intervention group, participants will watch a psycho-educational video clip and attend 3 psycho-education workshops. In the control group, participants will go about life as usual.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants will have the opportunity of learning about: normal responses to major transitions in sport; planning and goal-setting; how to identify and check unhelpful thinking; emotion regulation strategies; self-regulation strategies – planning; problem solving techniques. There are no risks to participants beyond that which they encounter in everyday life. The manner and questions used to assess whether this support programme works are non-intrusive.
Where is the study run from?
Irish Institute of Sport, Dublin
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2015 to June 2018
Who is funding the study?
Irish Research Council and Irish Institute of Sport.
Who is the main contact?
Ms Emma Burrows
emma.burrows2@mail.dcu.ie
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Public
Primary contact
Ms Emma Burrows
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9009-7760
Contact details
School of Health and Human Performance
Dublin City University
Dublin
D9
Ireland
+353 0892481988
emma.burrows2@mail.dcu.ie
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
Feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of a career transition programme to increase adaptability and psychological well-being in elite Irish athletes and their service providers
Acronym
Study hypothesis
A 4-part psycho-education intervention will improve adaptability and psychological well-being in members of the elite Irish sport community.
Ethics approval
Research and Innovation Support (Dublin City University), 08/09/2014, ref: DCUREC/2014/194
Study design
Interventional wait list control design with pre and post testing
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Trial setting
Other
Trial type
Other
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet
Condition
Adaptability and psychological well-being
Intervention
1. Intervention arm involves exposure to psycho-educational video clip and attendance at 3 psycho-education workshops targeting adaptability and psychological well-being.
2. Control arm involves life as usual.
Intervention type
Behavioural
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Learning, adaptability and psychological well-being. Data collection methods will include surveys such as The COMPAS-W Scale of Wellbeing©, Career Adaptabilities Form 2.0, The Self Control and Self-Management Scale, the Shortened General Attitudes and Beliefs Scale and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21)
Measurements taken pre and post intervention, and also at 2 months and 6 months following the 2016 Olympic/Paralympic Games.
Secondary outcome measures
Self-efficacy, problem solving skills.
Measurements taken pre and post intervention, and also at 2 months and 6 months following the 2016 Olympic/Paralympic Games.
Overall trial start date
01/09/2015
Overall trial end date
01/06/2018
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Current or prior involvement in an Irish high-performance sport programme
2. 18 years and over
Participant type
Other
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
200 members of the elite sport community comprising athletes, coaches and service providers
Participant exclusion criteria
N/A
Recruitment start date
01/09/2015
Recruitment end date
01/07/2016
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Ireland
Trial participating centre
Irish Institute of Sport
National Sports Campus, Blanchardstown
Co. Dublin
Ireland
Funders
Funder type
Research council
Funder name
Irish Research Council
Alternative name(s)
An Chomhairle um Thaighde in Éirinn
Funding Body Type
private sector organisation
Funding Body Subtype
other non-profit
Location
Ireland
Funder name
Irish Institute of Sport
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
We anticipate findings will be presented at one European and one International conference in 2017/2018. Results will be submitted for publication to a peer reviewed journal in 2018. Dissemination channels will include social media. The intervention study will contribute to the submission of a doctoral thesis and the final thesis will be deposited in DORAS, Dublin City University’s open access institutional repository.
Intention to publish date
31/12/2018
Participant level data
Not expected to be available
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list