738 BO43 – Experiences and opinions of high-performance athletes of mental health screening

Background Mental health symptoms are common in athletes and can have significant impacts on both health and performance. Mental health screening has been integrated more consistently into high-performance systems over the last few years. There is limited evidence available on the athlete's experience of screening. This information may help improve the experience and effectiveness of mental health screening. Objective To assess the experiences and opinions of mental health screening in high-performance athletes Design Anonymous questionnaires were distributed electronically to the selected athletes. Prior to administration, participants were provided with a detailed explanation of the study's purpose, and informed consent was obtained. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using suitable methods Participants Adult athletes supported by the Sport Scotland Institute of Sport from eleven sports. Results There were 165 responses across 11 sports. 49.7% had completed mental health screening before, and 17% were unsure if they had. 93.3% felt that mental health screening was beneficial for athletes. Athletes scored 8.3/10 on how comfortable they felt completing MH screening. Only 6% of athletes had knowingly been sent MH screening and not completed it, whereas 28.5% were unsure. There were consistent themes which would make athletes less comfortable ranging from confidentiality to selection concerns, and those that would make them more comfortable, ranging from privacy, normalising the conversation, and having a trusted relationship with the person completing the screening. Conclusions Mental health screening is viewed as a positive and comfortable addition by high-performance athletes from a wide range of sports. Practitioners can improve the experience, and likely the utility of mental health screening, by ensuring the process is clearly explained, makes use of existing relationships, and maintains privacy and confidentiality. Creating and distributing clear guidance on how to implement screening would be beneficial.