Sep 01, 2025
Protective and Risk Factors in the Mental Health of Elite Sports Coaches: A Scoping Review
This protocol is a draft, published without a DOI.
- Tomasz Kowalski1,2
- 1Department of Physiology, Institute of Sport - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland;
- 2Institute of Psychology, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Poland
Protocol Citation: Tomasz Kowalski 2025. Protective and Risk Factors in the Mental Health of Elite Sports Coaches: A Scoping Review. protocols.io https://protocols.io/view/protective-and-risk-factors-in-the-mental-health-o-g7vhbzn37
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
Created: August 19, 2025
Last Modified: September 01, 2025
Protocol Integer ID: 224905
Keywords: elite coach, professional coach, high-performance coach, Olympic coach, Paralympic coach, risk factors, protective factors, job characteristics, coping, resilience, social support, workload, organisational support, job insecurity, lifestyle, mental health, distress, well-being, burnout, anxiety, depression, mental health of elite sports coach, elite sports coach, elite coach, risk factors in the mental health, mental health, protective factor, risk factor
Abstract
This scoping review will examine and synthesise the evidence on risk and protective factors, as well as job characteristics, associated with the mental health of elite sports coaches. Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework and reported according to PRISMA-ScR, the review aims to map existing research, identify knowledge gaps, and inform future interventions and policies to support elite coaches.
Guidelines
Step 3 — Search Strategy
- Databases: Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed Central, APA PsycInfo, SPORTDiscus.
- Date of Search: July 22nd, 2025.
- Restrictions: None on publication year; English only.
- PCC Components:
• Population: Elite coaches (keywords: elite coach, professional coach, high-performance coach, Olympic coach, Paralympic coach).
• Concept: Risk/protective factors, job characteristics (keywords: coping, resilience, social support, workload, organisational support, job insecurity, lifestyle, etc.).
• Context: Mental health/well-being (keywords: mental health, distress, well-being, burnout, anxiety, depression).
- Conceptual framework: Guided by Job Demands-Resources model (Bakker and Demerouti, 2017) and Self-Determination Theory (Ryan and Deci, 2017).
Step 4 — Study Selection
- All references imported into a reference manager.
- Titles/abstracts screened independently by two independent teams of two reviewers.
- Full texts assessed against criteria by two independent teams of two reviewers.
- Discrepancies resolved by consensus or a supervisor.
- Process documented with PRISMA-ScR flowchart.
Step 5 — Data Management and Charting
- Data items extracted:
- Author and year
- Country of study
- Study design
- Sample size and sex distribution
- Sport type (eg, team vs individual, direct vs indirect contact)
- Employment setting (eg, federation, club, other)
- Mental health outcomes measured and assessment methods
- Key findings
- Data extraction completed independently by two independent teams of two reviewers.
Step 6 — Collating, Summarizing, and Reporting
- Findings presented in tables (e.g., intervention types, factors identified).
- Narrative synthesis structured by risk factors, protective factors, and job characteristics.
- Key methodological trends, gaps, and future directions highlighted.
- Results reported following PRISMA-ScR checklist.
Step 7 — Dissemination
- The results-based article is to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.
- Findings might be presented at sport psychology and coaching conferences.
- Knowledge translation to sports organisations and mental health practitioners.
Materials
Databases: Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed Central, APA PsycInfo, SPORTDiscus.
Reference manager software.
Troubleshooting
Step 1 — Define Objectives and Research Question
Identify and map the protective and risk factors associated with the mental health of elite sports coaches, along with relevant job characteristics.
Formulate the research question: What is currently known about protective and risk factors influencing the mental health of elite sports coaches?
Apply the PCC framework: Population (elite coaches); Concept (protective/risk factors and job characteristics); Context (mental health).
Step 2 — Eligibility Criteria
Apply inclusion criteria for studies:
- Samples consisting of elite sports coaches (working with International/World-class athletes, i.e. Tiers 4 and 5 of the Participant Classification Framework from McKay et al. 2022).
- Empirical studies reporting outcomes related to mental ill-health or mental well-being.
- Studies examining functioning and environment (e.g., lifestyle, organisational support, workload).
- Peer-reviewed articles in English.
Apply exclusion criteria for studies:
- Studies on athletes or other staff only (without separate data on coaches).
- Non-empirical sources (conference abstracts, dissertations, case studies, opinion pieces).
Step 3 — Search Strategy
Search the following databases: Scopus, Embase, MEDLINE Ultimate, PubMed Central, APA PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus.
Set the date of search to August 20 2025. Apply no restrictions on publication year; include English language only.
Use PCC components for search:
- Population: Elite coaches (keywords: elite coach, professional coach, high-performance coach, Olympic coach, Paralympic coach).
- Concept: Risk/protective factors, job characteristics (keywords: coping, resilience, social support, workload, organisational support, job insecurity, lifestyle, etc.).
- Context: Mental health/well-being (keywords: mental health, distress, well-being, burnout, anxiety, depression).
Apply conceptual framework: Guided by Job Demands-Resources model (Bakker and Demerouti, 2017) and Self-Determination Theory (Ryan and Deci, 2017).
Step 4 — Study Selection
Import all references into a reference manager (Rayyan Systems Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA).
Screen titles and abstracts independently by two independent teams of two reviewers.
Assess full texts against criteria by two independent teams of two reviewers.
Resolve discrepancies by consensus or a supervisor.
Document the selection process with a PRISMA-ScR flowchart.
Step 5 — Data Management and Charting
Extract the following data items:
- Author and year
- Country of study
- Study design
- Sample size and sex distribution
- Sport type (e.g., team vs individual, direct vs indirect contact)
- Employment setting (e.g., federation, club, other)
- Outcomes measured and assessment methods
- Key findings
Complete data extraction independently by two independent teams of two reviewers.
Step 6 — Collating, Summarizing, and Reporting
Present findings in tables or figures (e.g., intervention types, factors identified).
Structure narrative synthesis by risk factors, protective factors, and job characteristics.
Highlight key methodological trends, gaps, and future directions.
Report results following PRISMA-ScR checklist.
Step 7 — Dissemination
Submit the results-based article to a peer-reviewed journal.
Present findings at sport psychology and coaching conferences, if possible.
Translate knowledge to sports organisations and mental health practitioners.
Protocol references
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