Expanding the Value of Systems Thinking: A New Lens on Mental Health in Sport and Dance

Mental health in sport and dance is shaped by more than just individual traits or isolated experiences. It’s embedded in dynamic systems - relationships, environments, and timelines -that influence how athletes and dancers develop, cope, and thrive. At the upcoming British Psychological Society Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology (DSEP) Annual Conference, the SPRINT project will explore this complexity through a symposium titled: 

Expanding the Value of Systems Thinking: Integrating the PPCT Model in Sport and Dance Psychology 

This 90-minute session, chaired by Dr Richard Simpson (Leeds Trinity University), brings together researchers from the University of Birmingham and Loughborough University to examine how Bronfenbrenner’s Process–Person–Context–Time (PPCT) model can guide mental health research in performance psychology settings. 

🔍 Why the PPCT Model? 

The PPCT model offers a comprehensive framework for understanding human development by considering: 

• Process: the interpersonal interactions that shape growth 

  
  

• Person: individual characteristics and dispositions 

  
  

• Context: nested environments from immediate settings to broader cultural systems 

  
  

• Time: both developmental timing and historical context 

  
  

Although widely used in developmental psychology, its application in sport and dance psychology, especially in relation to mental health, remains limited. This symposium aims to change that. 

📚 What to Expect 

The session will begin with an accessible introduction to the PPCT model, prepared by Dr Mary Quinton and delivered by Prof Jennifer Cumming. This will be followed by three empirical presentations exploring: 

• Mental health in higher education dance (Emma Morgan) 

  
  

• Compassion and wellbeing in women’s team sports (Fiona Clarke) 

  
  

• Systems influences in elite Paralympic contexts (Benjamin Walker) 

  
  

The symposium will conclude with a synthesis presentation, offering practical guidance for researchers and practitioners on how to apply the PPCT model in their own work. 

🌱 Why It Matters 

This symposium aligns with DSEP’s 2025 conference values of curiosity, collaboration, and growth. It invites attendees to: 

• Rethink how mental health is conceptualised in sport and dance 

  
  

• Explore interdisciplinary and context-sensitive approaches 

  
  

Whether you're a researcher, practitioner, policymaker, or simply curious about systems thinking and ecological approaches, this session offers a fresh perspective on how we support mental health in performance environments. 

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Written by Dr Mary Quinton