Stronger Together: Championing Mental Health Across Sport, Dance, and Research
- SPRINT project
- Oct 10
- 3 min read
World Mental Health Day reminds us that mental well-being is a shared responsibility - one that spans disciplines, communities, and professions. At the SPRINT Project, we’re committed to advancing mental health through inclusive, evidence-based research that supports athletes, dancers, and researchers working in emotionally demanding environments. This year, we’re highlighting how our work is helping to build safer, more compassionate spaces for performance and inquiry.
Mental Health in Sport
Athletes are not immune to mental health challenges. Our research explores how sporting environments can both support and hinder mental well-being. We’ve investigated transitions into professional sport, emotion regulation, help-seeking behaviours, and the role of teammate compassion - a concept that highlights how athletes can support one another emotionally and for improved performance. Read more about this upcoming research here, along with a recently published infographic and blog post here.
We’re also excited to be expanding our work into neurodiversity in sport, focusing on how athletes with ADHD and other neurodiverse profiles experience sport and mental health. In collaboration with the UK Sports Institute, this research aims to promote inclusivity and understanding across coaching and performance environments. Learn more about neurodiversity in sport here.
Finally, keep an eye out for our upcoming international project on mental health in Paralympic sport in collaboration with the UK Sports Institute. Read our recent blog about this exciting work here.
Explore our sport mental health research here
Mental Health in Dance
Dancers face unique pressures from performance demands to body image concerns. Our research focuses on risk and protective factors for dancer mental health, including the role of self-compassion in promoting well-being. Self-compassion has gained increasing research interest in sport, however, the application of self-compassion in dance remains relatively unexplored. Read more about our upcoming research in this area here, alongside access to a recent self-compassion infographic resource.
We’re also leading work on self-harm in dance students, a critical and under-researched area. In collaboration with One Dance UK, we’re identifying how dance teachers can better support students at risk and what resources are needed to respond effectively. Read about our latest research in this area here.
We’re also exploring how mental skills training (MST), already proven effective in sport contexts, can be adapted to support dancers. MST interventions help individuals develop tools such as goal-setting, emotional regulation, and focus, which are linked to improved mental health outcomes. For more details on our upcoming work in this area, view the protocol here.
Read more about our dancer mental health research here
Safeguarding and Abuse Prevention in Dance
Dance can be a powerful force for growth and connection, but it can also be a space where harmful practices occur. Our safeguarding research, conducted with One Dance UK and the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science, includes the national surveys of safeguarding policies in UK dance organisations.
We’ve also interviewed dancers, leaders, dance scientists, and clinicians to understand what makes a dance environment psychologically safe or unsafe. Our findings highlight the need for systemic change and shared responsibility across the dance ecosystem.
Explore our safeguarding and abuse prevention work here
Researcher Mental Health
Researchers working on emotionally demanding topics, whether in academia, industry, or the third sector, face unique mental health risks. Our project, funded by UKRI’s QR Enhancing Research Culture Fund, has identified best practices for supporting researcher well-being.
We’ve co-designed guidelines with researchers from diverse contexts and are now exploring how these can be applied in real-world settings. This work is helping to shape a more psychologically informed research culture, where ethical responsibility includes care for those conducting the research.
Learn more and access our guidelines here
Read the University of Birmingham feature article: Stronger Together: How Birmingham’s Mental Health Research is Supporting Communities
MST4Life™: Psychologically Informed Support for Young People
MST4Life™ is a psychologically informed programme designed to support young people experiencing disadvantage. It uses mental skills training to build resilience, confidence, and self-regulation, helping participants transition into education, employment, or training.
Discover MST4Life™ here
Why This Matters
Mental health is not a luxury - it’s a foundation for thriving. Whether you're an athlete, dancer, researcher, or someone supporting these groups, your mental health matters. Our research shows that when environments are psychologically safe and inclusive, individuals and communities flourish.
We invite you to be part of this journey. Subscribe to our blog to stay updated on future posts, research opportunities, and events. Let’s work together to create spaces where mental health is protected, supported, and celebrated.
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Written by Dr Mary Quinton, Co-Director of The SPRINT Project.
Image credit: East London NHS foundation trust
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