The Team Denmark applied model of athlete mental health

Mental health is a core component of any culture of excellence, but it is also complex, and key stakeholders in elite sport struggle to negotiate their roles and responsibilities in promoting it. In this conceptual paper, we present the Team Denmark Applied Model of Athlete Mental Health. The model is theory-driven, informed by evidence, and intended for applied use; it was developed heuristically through discussions in the Team Denmark sport psychology team and validated in further discussion with multiple stakeholders such as coaches and managers. The model contains four levels of mental health in elite sport (a) the athlete, (b) the training environment, (c) leadership, and (d) everyday life. The four levels are situated in the greater context of Danish society and culture. The four levels are divided into three colours (green, yellow, and red) that describe the mental health of the athlete, the degree to which the environment supports athlete mental health, and the required mental health interventions. The model contains two key messages. First, efforts to promote mental health should target all athletes and not only those that are languishing. Second, athlete mental health is not confined to the individual athlete. The model provides stakeholders with a lens through which they can analyse, talk about, and optimise the way in which their sport environments support the mental health of their athletes.