ABSTRACT
In this section, the complexity of mental health and well-being are explored from an array of dimensions. Although only recently subject to extant research in elite sport, their eminence is worthy of discussion from different perspectives, including that of the athlete and coach. The chapters are concerned with key topics including mental health and well-being, thriving and engagement, meaning, psychological resilience, and the role of the social network for coaches. This domain is critical to illuminating psychological aspects of sport beyond the myopic lens of mental illness. Understanding pathways to support mental health and psychological well-being are critical to influencing the protective factors against psychological disorder and mental illness. The complete state of the mental health model is introduced and evaluated in Chapter 1. Then, thriving and sport engagement are investigated, with an exploration of meaning and its role in ameliorating stressors and providing context for our state of mind is considered in Chapter 2. Subsequently, the construct of resilience is probed and differentiated from other explanations, including grit and mental toughness. In Chapter 5, an applied viewpoint is considered in how coaches and other actors can support the mental health of athletes.
