New BASES Mental Health in Sport and Exercise units

Last summer, as part of our support to candidates on the Sport and Exercise Psychology Accreditation Route (SEPAR), BASES commissioned Drs Paul Gorczynski and Anthony Papathomas to develop a bespoke suite of mental health resources.

Last month SEPAR candidates, supervisors, and reviewers gained access to eight unique educational units, comprising of video lecture with resource booklet and guided reading list, to support learners to develop essential knowledge on the critical issue of mental health in sport and exercise .

However, recognising the appropriateness for learning for early career practitioners, candidates undertaking MSc in sport and/or exercise psychology, other independent route programmes for Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registration, PhD and Professional Doctorate students, the Board wanted to open up and offer this suite of resources across the sector.

To view the trailers for the eight units, please click here.

There is a core focus on the following topics: mental health; depressive disorders; anxiety disorders; post-traumatic stress disorder; eating disorders; addictive behaviours; understanding stigma; and mental health literacy.

Prof Zoe Knowles FBASES, BASES Chair-Elect said, “I want to express my thanks to Drs Gorczynski and Papathomas for working with BASES to develop these sector-leading resources. Both are world experts in their field and the programme reflects cutting edge research and activity on an important topic. BASES is proud to offer these resources beyond that of global sport and exercise community sector as a whole and we are committed to further development on this topic in the future.”

Prof Dave Broom FBASES, Chair of the Physical Activity for Health Division said, “I cannot over emphasise how understanding mental health is important for all regardless of the physical activity prescription or setting. The resources include key examples of relevance to the physical activity and health field so can be applied to community as well as clinical settings."

Dr Ibrahim Akubat, Chair of the Sport and Performance Division said, “The utility of the modules are especially helpful for those working within the elite sport environments. The course is not tailor-made to psychology specialists but to the wide range of practitioners who work within the performance domain.”

Dr Mike Price, Chair of the Physiology and Nutrition Division said, “These are a great resource for any practitioner. The utility of the modules will allow those working across the spectrum of recreational and elite athletes to be cognisant of mental health and the effects it may have on physiological performance and links to eating behaviours. They will no doubt have a positive effect on practitioner understanding and will facilitate multidisciplinary approaches.”

For details on the prices and how to purchase the Mental Health in Sport and Exercise units, please click here.

Finally, BASES is delivering a full-day on-line workshop on Mental Health in Sport and Exercise (Sport Psychology and Mental Health: Battling the Ultracrepidarians) which is taking place on 27 January 2021. To book your place, please click here.

The on-line workshop will cover the Mental Health in Sport and Exercise units, but not in the same depth; this workshop will provide attendees the opportunity to acquire knowledge on other aspects of mental health research in sport and exercise as well as key skills to develop research agendas involving evidence-based practice rooted in both qualitative and quantitative research. Places on this workshop are limited, but a secondary date for the training day has been scheduled for 29 March 2021. To register, please click here.