Research into support in mental health for footballers gives soon-to-be graduate top marks
The role of a football coach and how they can support players with mental health and wellbeing was the focus of research by a soon-to-be Master’s graduate from the University of Chester.
Jodie Carswell is set to receive her MSc in Applied Psychology from the University during the March graduation ceremonies in Chester Cathedral.
Jodie, 24, from Welshpool in Powys, received one of the highest ever grades on the programme for her dissertation ‘Beyond the pitch: insight into the role of a football coach in supporting player mental wellbeing.’ Her lecturers praised her work as having real world application and she is currently exploring adapting it for publication.
Jodie said: “My dissertation looked at non-professional football coaches’ views on their role in supporting player mental wellbeing. It was incredibly rewarding to conduct research in an area I am passionate about, especially since I play football myself. This felt like a timely piece of research given there is an increasing focus on mental wellbeing in sport but limited research exploring coaches’ views on the topic, particularly at a non-professional level in the UK. The findings suggested that coaches are willing to support their players’ mental wellbeing but would like more guidance, which I believe has important implications for UK sporting organisations. I really enjoyed interviewing local coaches and I am extremely grateful for their participation and to Professor Lafferty for her invaluable guidance and feedback throughout.”
Jodie chose to study at Chester as she felt the modules were designed to develop her therapeutic skills beyond her undergraduate degree and help her achieve the next goal of securing an assistant psychologist post. She said: “I really enjoyed all the modules on the programme as they were structured to encourage active learning and application to real-world scenarios, making concepts much easier to grasp and more relevant to personal interests.
It is incredibly rewarding to have completed the course and to see my hard work pay off. The programme has opened many opportunities, most notably, I secured an assistant psychologist position on the last day of my Master’s. I am confident that I wouldn’t have been successful without having completed the course.”
Jodie praised the University for the support she received during her Master’s, including careers sessions to prepare her for the world of work and she is considering studying for a doctorate.
She added: “The support from the lecturers on the Master’s programme was instrumental and I would especially like to thank my personal tutor Dr Annie Scudds, and my supervisor Professor Lafferty. Their guidance has played a key role in my academic and professional growth.
One of the best aspects of my experience at Chester has definitely been the sense of community. I’ve built some lasting friendships with peers from the course, which made the experience even more enjoyable. A major highlight was receiving my grade for my dissertation, as I put so much time and effort into the project.”
Professor Moira Lafferty, Head of the School of Society at the University, said: “Over the course of the programme Jodie excelled and gained one of the highest marks ever awarded for their dissertation. Her research has real world application and the area of mental wellbeing in sport is both a contemporary and important topic across all levels of sport and we are working together to publish the findings."