ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the context of mental health in Canadian high-performance sport is addressed through a foundational review of relevant mental health support pathways and organizations. To date, athletes in Canada have access to a variety of mental health care pathways within and outside the high-performance sport system. This chapter presents the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS), a specialized national hub providing mental health services to competitive and high-performance athletes and coaches. The CCMHS’s unique 4Cs features (i.e., sport-Centered, Comprehensive, Collaborative, and Convenient) are described to underscore key factors that must be considered in the provision of mental health care in the sport context. Low mental health literacy, a lack of funding, and stigma remain barriers to help-seeking among athletes and coaches in Canada. The forthcoming Canadian national mental health strategy for high-performance sport will help to coordinate the mobilization of the human and financial resources required to adequately promote and address mental health and mental illness in sport. Recommendations to fulfill existing gaps in the Canadian high-performance sport system are provided.
