Queen¡¯s researchers lead the development of mental health guidelines for community sport
Researchers at Queen¡¯s University are developing guidelines for sports clubs to help spot signs of poor mental health and assist in supporting their members.
The newly launched study, funded by Movember, is a collaboration between Queen’s University and Ulster University, which aims to deepen understanding of the impact of mental health in community sport.
Dr Gavin Breslin, who is leading the project at Queen’s University Belfast, explains: “Through the study, we will develop guidelines which can be used by national organisations of sport across the UK and Ireland. We hope that this can help support governing bodies and sports clubs to identify signs of poor mental health and support members.”
Already, the researcher team (Dr Gavin Breslin from Queen’s, Dr Deborah Roy a Research Fellow at Queen’s and Dr Stephen Shannon from Ulster University) have completed an extensive review of the evidence of mental health in sport. They have conducted interviews and held focus groups with the help of the relevant sporting associations.
During two days of workshops at Queen’s, the researchers discussed the findings with expert panels and evidence-based guidelines were developed. The findings and guidance from the expert panels will now provide insights to inform future systems change, as well as new policy and practice in community sports clubs.
Dr Breslin, who is Director of Research in the School of Psychology at Queen’s, adds: “This collaboration represents a significant step forward and responds to a call to action to protect the mental health of athletes involved in community sport.
“By developing guidelines and supporting resources, we can uncover powerful insights into how we can better support our athletes and all involved in sport contributing to lifelong wellbeing. We’re proud to lead this work and impact positively in our communities.”
Tracy Herd, Director of Men's Health, Europe, at Movember says: “We are thrilled to be working with Queen’s University on this study. This research will help us better understand the role community sport can play in strengthening our mission to help men, families and communities lead healthier, longer lives and that mental health matters.
“Movember has funded similar projects in Australia, USA and Canada and with the new guidelines in the UK and Ireland the global impact of the work is going to be incredible.”
Separate guidelines for the UK and Ireland are expected to be shared in Summer 2026 and implemented in sports clubs in 2026-2027.
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For media enquiries, please contact emma.gallagher@qub.ac.uk