Supporting mental health through the entourage in high performance sport - MENTiS Erasmus+ Sport

It is projected that 6.636 athletes and 1.568 entourage members can be involved in this project through the MENTiS consortium partners.

The UAB Sports Psychology Research Group (GEPE-UAB), within the framework of the IRE-UAB, participates as an associate partner of the European project Supporting Mental Health through the Entourage in high-performance Sport (MENTiS) funded by the Erasmus+ Sport program of the European Commission. The two-year project kicked-off in January 2023.

MENTiS aims to strengthen mental health initiatives and talent development within European high-performance sports organizations. To this end, the project will develop new community-based interventions targeting the athlete entourage (i.e., coaches, support staff, significant others).

More specifically, the objective is to develop evidence-based mental health educational resources and tools centred around three key pillars:

• Mental health literacy
• Mental health ‘first aid’ competencies
• Mental health ‘self-care’ competencies

These educational resources and tools will be developed, implemented, evaluated, refined, and eventually widely disseminated within the project lifespan. The project provides a direct added value within the EU context by focusing on the development of mental health competencies in the important, yet often overlooked, population of entourage members. 

Impact
The resources and tools developed and implemented within this project will allow organizations to optimize their support services and facilitate mental health support for both athletes and entourage members. 

The MENTiS project and its deliverables aim to generate positive impact by bringing direct added value to European high-performance sport research, policy, and practice in the following ways:

• Promoting and increasing awareness on the topic of mental health in sports;
• Providing opportunities to develop a detailed understanding of the role of the athlete entourage for promoting mental health;
• Providing and enhancing opportunities for the development of entourage members’ competencies to promote mental health;
• Facilitating cooperation related to mental health between sport, education and health stakeholders.

 
About the Consortium
MENTiS brings together a consortium of 28 experts in high performance sport and mental health, representing 8 organizations from 6 European countries (Belgium, France, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, UK). The consortium includes 4 national sport governing bodies, 1 high-performance centre, and 3 athlete-friendly universities. 

• Vrike Universiteit Brussel (Belgium)
• Loughborough University (United Kingdom)
• Centre d’Alt Rendimient Esportiu de de Sant Cugat (Spain)
• Sveriges Riksidrottsforbund (Sweden)
• Comite Olympique et Interfederal Belge ASBL (Belgium)
• Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain)
• Nederlands Olympisch Comite-Nederlandse Sport Federatie Verenigng (Netherlands)
• Institut National du Sport del Expertise et la Performance (France)

The consortium is coordinated by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). UAB team contact persons are Miquel Torregrossa and Yago Ramis.