AIS Mental Health Audit 2022

Yes, individual sports can work with the AIS and Orygen to negotiate a sport-specific report, provided there is an adequate number of responses. Any reports will protect the anonymity of participants.

No, neither individual sports nor the AIS will have access to the data. As the survey is anonymous individuals cannot be identified.

No, the survey is anonymous. Your name is not required and your responses cannot be linked to you. While the survey does ask about characteristics such as your gender, age, relationship status and your NSO/sport, the Orygen researchers will not report anything that could potentially identify an athlete (e.g. age ranges will not be provided as these could potentially identify youngest or oldest athletes in a sport) or a staff member (e.g. results from specific staff positions where there are only one or very few people in that position within that sport will not be reported on specifically as they would be highly identifiable).

No. As the survey is anonymous, Sport Integrity Australia cannot request access to the survey data.

There is no research to suggest that reading about or talking about mental health or wellbeing can lead to an episode of mental ill-health.

If you do experience any distress or would like to find out options for further support, you can contact the lead Orygen researchers A/Professor Rosemary Purcell (0412 086 155; rosie.purcell@orygen.org.au) or Dr Simon Rice (0419 497 599; simon.rice@orygen.org.au) both of whom are registered psychologists.

You can also access the AIS Mental Health Referral Network for free psychological support: Phone: +61 2 6214 1130 (Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm AET) Email: mentalhealth@sportaus.gov.au

Yes. The overall group-based research findings will be published in a report and may be used in research papers written by Orygen and/or the AIS. It is important to note that all of the data collected is anonymous and can in no way be linked back to an individual athlete or staff member. Only large scale group data will be used in any published material.

No. This survey cannot ‘diagnose’ any mental health or wellbeing difficulties. Instead, it focuses on understanding whether or not athletes, coaches and staff experience symptoms relating to their mental health and wellbeing, and what factors are associated with optimal mental health and wellbeing.

MHRN’s highly skilled clinicians — selected because of their experience and success at helping manage the pressures of high performance sport — can deliver services ranging from improving your mental wellbeing to comprehensive clinical treatment plans.

They can help with:

• Managing stress and anxiety
• Improving your relationships
• Depression
• Managing thoughts and emotions when transitioning into and out of sport
• Dealing with relocation
• Increasing your wellbeing to manage life’s stressful times
• Body image
• Concerns about COVID-19
• Maximising your wellbeing
• Worries affecting day-to-day life
• Negative thoughts and emotions
• Any other mental health concerns

For a minimum of 5 years, consistent with standard ethics requirements.

During April, all NSO identified/categorised athletes aged 16 years and over, high performance directors, coaches and staff in the daily training environment will be sent a link to the survey via text or email. When you click the link you will be taken to the survey, which is hosted on Orygen’s secure server.

During April, all NSO identified/categorised athletes aged 16 years and over, high performance directors, coaches and staff in the daily training environment will be sent a link to the survey via text or email. When you click the link you will be taken to the survey, which is hosted on Orygen’s secure server.

The youngest athletes invited to complete the survey are 16 years old.  If you are 16 years old you do not need parental consent.

The survey is not available for athletes who are 15 years and under, as some survey items will not be applicable or suitable to younger athletes, and independent consent cannot be assumed or provided.

The survey will focus on current or recent symptoms related to anxiety, depression, psychological distress, body image, alcohol and other substance use, as well as other factors like sleep, what helps you to stay well, sources of support and attitudes to mental health and wellbeing.

The online survey takes around 10 minutes to complete. It is anonymous. It includes questions about your demographic characteristics (nothing that could identify you), your current mental health and wellbeing (e.g. symptoms of anxiety, depression, sleep, what you do to stay well, how supported you feel at work and in life). You don’t have to answer any questions that you don’t want to and taking part is voluntary.

Your responses will be saved as you go along and you can return to the survey by clicking on the original link. You’ll be taken directly back to the most recent section that you had completed and you can continue from there (i.e. you don’t have to start again).

We do not expect that taking part in the survey will cause you any distress, based on Orygen’s experience of implementing this survey in 2018 with the AIS, and similar surveys with other Australian professional sporting codes. However, you may consider some of the questions about your current mental health potentially sensitive. It is your choice if you would like to skip any of the questions, or not take part in the survey.

If you do experience any distress or would like to find out options for further support, you can contact the lead Orygen researchers, or the AIS Mental Health Referral Network at mentalhealth@sportaus.gov.au for confidential help or support. If you are currently overseas, the Mental Health Referral Network email can provide the most timely response.

The following are contact details of helplines or online services for confidential support:

The survey can be completed anytime during April 2022.

The data will be stored on a secure server at Oygen in Melbourne. It will be password protected and only accessible by the Orygen researchers approved to work on this survey.

All NSO identified/categorised athletes aged 16 years and over who are currently included on the AIS categorisation list. High performance directors, coaches and staff in the daily training environment (as identified by their NSO and NIN) are also invited to participate.

The AIS in collaboration with Orygen, Australia’s largest mental health research centre, and The University of Melbourne.

The AIS will be responsible for how you are informed of the overall survey findings, but they will not have access to any of the survey data collected. Only the researchers from Orygen/Melbourne University will have access to the data and these researchers are bound by ethics. The Orygen researchers will analyse the survey data and provide a report to the AIS that summarises the main findings and key recommendations.

This survey will help the AIS to better understand the mental health and wellbeing needs of athletes, high performance directors, coaches and support staff. This will include factors associated with optimal wellbeing. This data will help inform what is needed to build on mental health education programs for Australian elite and talent pathway sports.

No.