The 5Rs of Rugby: A qualitative evaluation of the development, delivery, and experience of a mental health literacy and social norms intervention with elite rugby union players in Ireland

TL;DR

This study evaluates a mental health literacy and social norms intervention with elite rugby players in Ireland, finding it created a safe space for discussions and reinforced positive help-seeking norms.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel mental health literacy and social norms intervention tailored for elite rugby players, emphasizing team dynamics and psychological safety.

Findings

The intervention engaged players and reinforced positive social norms around help-seeking for mental health.

Participants highlighted the need for ongoing mental health support beyond one-off workshops.

Players appreciated a safe environment for discussing mental health away from coaches.

Abstract

Elite rugby players are as likely to experience mental health challenges as the general population yet face unique pressures on their wellbeing associated with competitive sport. Few mental health literacy interventions have been conducted with elite rugby professionals, particularly those which consider the nature of rugby as a demanding, competitive team sport with unique group dynamics within teams. We conducted a novel social norms and mental health literacy project with current elite players contracted to the provincial rugby union teams in Ireland. The project, developed in collaboration with Rugby Players Ireland, featured a mental health literacy workshop intervention and co-produced poster materials detailing the ‘5Rs of Rugby’, relating to player mental health, sources of support, and social norms feedback from an earlier survey, with messages focusing on players’ intentions to signposting teammates to formal and informal sources of support. We report a qualitative evaluation of the development, delivery, and the experience of participating in the intervention based on focus groups, a survey, and interviews with staff and players whilst considering the context of elite rugby. An inductive reflexive thematic analysis identified three themes relating to (i) Rugby: ‘fickle and all-encompassing’, (ii) Trust and Brotherhood, and (iii) Experiences of the 5Rs of Rugby intervention. Participants felt that the intervention engaged the players, provided a psychologically safe environment for mental health discussions and disclosures, and reinforced existing positive social norms around help-seeking. Our analysis identified several challenges and considerations for supporting players’ mental health particularly around longer-term awareness campaigns, focusing on prevention, and providing actionable support for players.

Professional rugby union players experience similar mental health challenges like the rest of the population but also have to manage the demands and the competitive nature of professional rugby which can put unique pressures on their mental health. Our past research and experience working with professional players suggested some mixed levels of mental health literacy amongst Rugby Union professionals and some low levels of help-seeking for mental health challenges. We conducted an intervention project to promote help-seeking behaviours amongst professional rugby union players in Ireland focusing on challenging and promoting help-seeking as a social norm (i.e., something most players would do). The current study explores player and staff experiences of taking part in this intervention based on an analysis of interviews, discussions, and an online survey, with players and staff involved in the project. Our social norms intervention was positively experienced by staff and players who expressed some surprise at the high level of support players would provide for their teammates who might be experiencing mental health challenges. Players viewed mental health focused interventions as needing to be more than one-off workshops and needing to provide a safe space for players to discuss and disclose their mental health experiences (e.g., away from team coaches).