Conservatoire music students experience a range of demands including performance, academic, and interpersonal demands. If not effectively managed, demands may lead to stress and negative well-being outcomes. This qualitative study explored conservatoire music students' experiences of occupational stress and well-being, informed by a transactional stress theory. Six conservatoire music students were purposively selected to participate in semi-structured interviews. Participants discussed two stressful events: one perceived positively and a second perceived negatively. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was adopted and five themes developed: (a) Performance Demands; (b) Organisational Demands; (c) Relationship Demands; (d) Academic Demands; and (e) Multiple Demands. Participants commonly appraised demands as a threat. A smaller number of challenge or benefit appraisals were reported, with few harm or loss appraisals. Key underlying properties of stress appraisal were self and other comparison, preparation, and novelty. Participants highlighted the personal resources, psychological skills and problem-solving, and the organisational resource of social support to manage stressful experiences. Well-being outcomes related to stress appraisals. This study provides insight into the intra-individual processes related to occupational stress and well-being of conservatoire music students. Findings suggest interventions targeting the conservatoire culture and curriculum need exploring to create a positive learning culture and support students to cope with demands.

IntroductionProfessional classical musicians operate within a highly demanding environment, which includes organizational, social, and emotional demands. When not effectively coped with, these demands may cause stress and negatively impact well-being. This qualitative study explored the perceived stress and well-being experiences of professional classical musicians through a transactional theory of stress. The study employed a double hermeneutic interpretation of the lived experiences of the perceived demands faced, stress appraisals made, resources used, and the influence on well-being.MethodsSix professional classical musicians were purposefully selected for participation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and participants reflected on two events: one they perceived as a positive experience and one that was negative. Transcripts were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Group Experiential Themes emerged.ResultsThree Group Experiential Themes were identified: (a) Performance Demands; (b) Organizational Demands; and, (c) Relationship Demands. Participants predominantly appraised demands as a threat. A small number of demands were appraised as a challenge or benefit, and the fewest demands were appraised as causing harm or loss. Participants’ appraisals were informed by underlying properties of stress appraisal such as self and other comparison, and preparation. Participants often relied on personal resources as opposed to available workplace resources. They perceived well-being to relate to stress appraisals with participants experiencing acute and long-term outcomes.DiscussionThis study offers insight into the lived experience of the occupational stress process within professional classical musicians. The findings demonstrate that organizational interventions targeted at continuing professional development and social support are appropriate to help musicians cope more effectively with demands.

Background Police work can be sedentary and stressful, negatively impacting health and wellbeing. In a novel co-creation approach, we used the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) and Double Diamond (DD) design framework to guide the collaborative design and development of a sedentary behavior intervention in the control rooms of two British police forces.Methods Multiple stakeholders participated in four phases of research. In Phase 1, a literature review, focus groups (n = 20) and interviews (n = 10) were conducted to 'discover' the relationship between physical activity and wellbeing in the police. In Phase 2, a steering group consolidated Phase 1 findings to 'define' a specific behavior for intervention. Phases 3 and 4 'developed' the intervention across six workshops with control room workers and six steering group workshops.Results The co-creation process identified contextual sedentary behavior as the target behavior, driven by behavioral regulation, social influence and social norms. The sedentary behavior intervention targeted these drivers and aimed to engage control room workers in short bursts of physical activity throughout their shifts. Key intervention features targeted involvement of staff in decision-making and embedding physical activity into work practices.Conclusions The BCW and DD can be combined to co-create evidence-based and participant-informed interventions and translate science into action.

This literature review aimed to explore the theoretical mechanisms between physical activity, work-related stress, and psychological wellbeing, focusing on the police context. Findings coalesced around two themes: physical activity mechanisms and physical activity interventions. Mechanisms suggested that physical activity: buffered the negative effects of work-related stress, provided detachment from work and offered a coping strategy. There were limited physical activity interventions which have been conducted in police populations. Findings have implications for researchers to better understand why physical activity might benefit wellbeing in the police, and enable the development of theoretically informed physical activity interventions to support the wellbeing of police force workers.

The present study generated a qualitative examination of male professional football players' experiences of stress during the loan transition using the Demand Resources and Individual Effects (DRIVE) Model. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants (M age = 23; SD = 2.5) from various Premier League (n = 2), Championship (n = 8), and League (n = 1) clubs across the UK who have experienced a loan to another club. Guided by a critical realist philosophical orientation, semi-structured interviews were deductively developed based upon the DRIVE model to stimulate contextual discussion about the pre-transition resources (e.g. organizational support), perceived transition demands (e.g. performance pressure) and appraisals. Finally, players were asked to discuss their strategies for coping (e.g. situational coping) with loan demands and if they deemed this coping to be effective. Braun and Clarke's (2013) thematic content analysis was utilised. Deductive thematic analysis was used to identify and evidence themes that were articulated in relation to the demands experienced, appraisals associated with such demands, and the coping strategies used to manage these demands. An inductive approach was used to code sub-themes from the data, on the basis of players' specific experiences that had not yet been exemplified in the existing literature. This study presented loan transition demands (performance and organizational), contextual individual differences (situational coping, dispositional coping, and protective factors) and loan resources (transition preconditions and during loan) that may assist individuals' performance and well-being. Practitioners would be advised to work with players on facilitating pre-transition resources and identify perceived demands they consider important to their transition process. Future research should seek to explore the loan transition within elite female football.

A novel concurrent, independent mixed-methods research design was adopted to explore elite association football coaches’ stress and mental ill-/well-being experiences over the course of an entire season. Elite coaches ( N = 18) completed measures of perceived stressor severity, coping effectiveness, and mental ill-/well-being, with a sample ( n = 8) also participating in semistructured interviews, across four time points. Linear mixed-model and retroductive analyses revealed (a) lower mental well-being at the beginning of the season due to negative appraisals/responses to stressors and ineffective coping attempts, (b) higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization at the end of the season, (c) stressors high in severity led to decreased mental well-being (unless coaches coped effectively) and increased symptoms associated with burnout, and (d) ineffective coping attempts led to increased emotional exhaustion. These findings offer novel insight into the specific components of elite football coaches’ stress experiences influencing their mental ill-/well-being over time.

Informed by the Demand Resources and Individual Effects model (DRIVE; Mark & Smith, 2008), we assessed how work and individual characteristics were associated with perceived job stress, and psychological wellbeing outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression, positive mood) in a cross-sectional study with two British police forces (N = 852 officers and staff). Work characteristics predicted psychological wellbeing outcomes both directly and indirectly through the perception of job stress. Work resources and individual characteristics moderated the relationships between work demands, perception of job stress and psychological wellbeing outcomes. The associations between perception of work demands, job stress and psychological wellbeing outcomes were improved in police officers and staff who reported moderate-high physical activity behavior. This study added new knowledge to the domain as it was the first to test the DRIVE model in its entirety in an occupational setting. It also provided new insight into the multi-dimensional factors associated with psychological wellbeing in policing. Practically, the findings implied a reduction of work demands, or interventions that target appraisals and/or physical activity might improve psychological wellbeing in police workers.

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between the golf movement screen (GMS), x-factor, which is the separation between the upper torso and pelvis rotation, and biomechanical movements of the pelvis, thorax, and spine during the backswing and impact of a golf shot in low handicap golfers. In total, 62 golfers were involved in this study (n = 40 male, n = 22 female); the mean age of the sample was 15.4 +/- 2.4 years. For the GMS, all subjects were assessed on their movement ability over a total of 10 different exercises. After a thorough warm-up routine of practice swings, each golfer then performed a single trial for biomechanical analysis. Biomechanical data were collected using an electromagnetic tracking system. Four of the 10 exercises had a significant correlation with x-factor (r = 0.25-0.33; p < 0.05). Four exercises had moderate correlations with spine rotation at the top of backswing. Spine side bend had a significant correlation with 9 of the 10 exercises and total GMS score (r = 0.26-0.53, p < 0.05). Movements of the pelvis and thorax at the top of backswing had minimal associations with the GMS. At impact, trunk inclination, thoracic rotation, and squat had small to moderate significant relationships with biomechanical movements (p < 0.05). Movement competency, as measured by the GMS, is associated with important aspects of swing mechanics. In particular, golfers who achieve better scores in the GMS have better spine control and can create a greater x-factor during the golf swing.

The stress experiences and their impact upon the daily lives and mental well-being of English Premier League professional (soccer) football coaches were explored using an in-depth qualitative design. Eight participants were interviewed using a semi-structured approach with thematic and causal network analysis revealing that (a) a range of contextually dependent demands were experienced and interpreted in relation to their situational properties; (b) many demands were appraised and emotionally responded to in a negative manner; (c) a range of coping strategies were adopted to cope with stress experiences, with many reported as ineffective; and (d) stress experiences often led to negative implications for their daily lives and eudaimonic and hedonic well-being. Positive adaptations to some demands experienced were reported and augmented perceptions of mental well-being. The findings of this study make a novel and significant contribution to understanding the interrelationships between the principal components of the stress process and the prospective links between stress and mental well-being.

Over the past two decades, researchers have reported positive life skills outcomes for young people participating in sport-based life-skills programs. However, to date, there has been a lack of consideration in the literature regarding the quality of the programs designed and the evaluation methods adopted. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the life skills literature to: (a) assess the quality of sport-based life skills program design and evaluation methods; and (b) identify characteristics relating to the quality of sport-based life skills programs where authors had evidenced life skills developmentandtransfer. Using the PRISMA guidelines, we searched six databases for relevant research papers and applied inclusion and exclusion criteria to the papers returned, of which 15 papers met the criteria. We conducted two quality assessment exercises (design and evaluation methods) and found three moderate-high quality life skills programs, 11 moderate quality programs, and one low quality program. We present the characteristics (regarding quality) of intervention designs and methods, conclude with recommendations for designing quality sport-based life skills programs, and provide guidelines for researchers to evaluate sport-based life skills programs. Lay summary: Through engaging in sport-based life skills programs, young people can develop transferable skills. However, the quality of these life skills programs is unclear. We assess the quality of the design and evaluation methods of sport-based life skills programs, present the characteristics of moderate-high and moderate quality programs, and offer recommendations for future research and practice.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The characteristics identified can be used to aid the development of the content, delivery and evaluation methods within future sport-based life skills programs. The quality assessment tool (QATID) that is embedded within this paper can be used by applied researchers to ensure that the design of their life skills interventions is of high quality. By using the QATID and the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT) when designing and evaluating sport-based life skills programs, applied researchers can validate better subsequent claims of program effectiveness.

Hardiness has been identified as a key personal characteristic that may moderate the ill-effects of stress on health and performance. However, little is known about how hardiness might be developed, particularly in sport coaches. To systematically address this gap, we present two linked studies. First, interviews were conducted with pre-determined high-hardy, elite coaches (n = 13) to explore how they had developed their hardy dispositions through the associated attitudinal sub-components of control, commitment, and challenge. Utilizing thematic analysis, we identified that hardiness was developed through experiential learning, external support, and the use of specific coping mechanisms. Key to all of these themes was the concept of reflective practice, which was thought to facilitate more meaningful learning from the participants’ experiences and, subsequently, enhance the self-awareness and insight required to augment hardiness and its sub-components. To investigate further the potential relationship between coaches’ reflective practices and their level of hardiness, we conducted a follow-up study. Specifically, a sample of 402 sports coaches completed the Dispositional Resilience Scale-15, the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale, and the Questionnaire for Reflective Thinking. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), we clustered participants into groups based on their reflective profiles (e.g., type of engagement, level of reflective thinking). We then examined differences in hardiness between the five latent sub-groups using multinomial regression. Findings revealed that the sub-group of highly engaged, intentionally critical reflective thinkers reported significantly higher levels of all three hardiness sub-components than all other sub-groups; these effect sizes were typically moderate-to-large in magnitude (standardized mean differences = −1.50 to −0.10). Conversely, the profile of highly disengaged, non-reflective, habitual actors reported the lowest level of all three dimensions. Collectively, our findings offer novel insights into the potential factors that may influence a coaches’ level of hardiness. We provide particular support for the importance of reflective practice as a meta-cognitive strategy that helps coaches to develop hardy dispositions through augmenting its attitudinal sub-components. Consequently, our research makes a significant contribution by providing a comprehensive insight into how we might better train and support coaches to demonstrate the adaptive qualities required to thrive in demanding situations.

The influence of stress on the performance and well-being of sports performers has been a focal point of considerable academic attention, with performers' potential to experience stress in their sport environments widely acknowledged. The stressors experienced by other key stakeholders in sport organizations have also been considered, with physiotherapists and sport psychologists reporting experiencing a variety of performance and organizational stressors. The adaptive nature of this conceptualization links to the dynamic process perspective of stress and emotion proposed in cognitive-motivational-relational theory of stress and emotion, as it aligns with the view that coping efforts may change as an individual appraises and responds to stressors over time. Despite consistent reference to concepts linked to stress throughout the extant well-being literature, only recently has a study examined the direct relationship between stress components and well-being indicators in sport. Largely neglected, however, are the implications of the stress and emotional experience upon their well-being.

Background: Performing artists are exposed to a range of occupational demands from organisational, interpersonal and intrapersonal sources, which may impact their well-being. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate and synthesise the literature where researchers have considered the relationship between occupational demands and well-being in performing artists. Methods: A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted including professional and student performing artists. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods study designs were eligible for inclusion in the review. A total of 14 databases were searched from their inception through to October 2017, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus. Critical appraisal was conducted using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool and results presented as a narrative synthesis. Results: A total of 20 studies were included in the review, comprising of quantitative (n = 7), qualitative (n = 9) and mixed-methods (n = 4) study designs. Several frameworks of occupational stress and well-being were explored in relation to the results. Organisational, social and emotional demands were associated with lower well-being. Conversely, music-making, performance activities and social support were reported to be resources and were related to higher well-being. Conclusion: This systematic review highlights the need for researchers in this field to adopt methodologically robust study designs, which are informed by appropriate theoretical frameworks. The paucity of high quality and theoretically informed research in this area is a hindrance to the development of evidence-based interventions for this population.

We aimed to identify the effect of state-anger on precision, speed, and power components of performance during fencing attacks. We conducted a laboratory-based, single-case research experiment to test the fine motor task performance of two experienced and two elite-level fencers under two emotional states: anger and emotion-neutral. We assessed anger via psychophysiological and self-report measures, and we induced anger via a brief imagery intervention. Through the use of an innovative design, which included multiple measures of change, we showed that anger had a consistent negative effect on precision but an inconsistent relationship with response time and muscle activity. The current research design and protocol offer a novel and in-depth method for examining the specific relationships between affective states, emotions, and the complexities that underpin performance. The specific effects of anger on performance were multifarious, complex, and inconsistent. Nonetheless, the results tend to indicate that anger facilitates reaction time and debilitates performance, and these effects were clearer for the most elite performers. The effects of anger on performance are clearly complex, so it would be rather premature to make any suggestions for future practice at this point. Nonetheless, the clearer findings with the elite fencers indicate that researchers will likely yield the most fruitful insights by examining the effects of emotion of performance in elite performers.

Article published in International Journal of Golf Science on 24 October 2019, available open access at: https://www.golfsciencejournal.org/article/10770-the-longitudinal-development-of-movement-competency-in-young-high-level-golfers.

This manuscript presents two linked studies that together aimed to design, deliver and evaluate a service user informed education programme that focused on improving coaches’ understanding of, and ability to facilitate, life skill development through grassroots football in the UK. First, focus groups (n = 14) were conducted with key stakeholders (n = 56) to explore their perceptions of life skills and how they might be developed within grassroots football. The findings revealed six life skill themes, with social skills emerging as the most pertinent for the context. Further, the role of the coach in formally facilitating life skill development was expressed, suggesting that they are not developed implicitly through sport participation alone. Second, using the findings from study 1, a coach education programme was designed and subsequently delivered to a total of 45 coaches. Preliminary evaluation, using a triangulation of sources, revealed that the programme was successful in developing participants’ knowledge and understanding of life skills as well as improving their competence and confidence to integrate life skill development into their coaching practice. Support is therefore offered for the development of context specific life skill development programmes that are based on key stakeholder needs and expectations.

The aim of the study was to determine the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the golf movement screen (GMS). The GMS consists of 10 tests, which are assessed by rating a number of criteria specific to each movement. Intra-rater reliability was performed by an experienced rater assessing a sample of twenty golfers aged 12--18 years old who were part of a National High Performance Golf Program. For the inter-rater analysis, one experienced and three novice raters examined the videos of ten golfers of varying ability preforming the GMS, and were asked to rate their movement competency. The sum of all ten movements provides the total GMS score (0--93) which had good intra- and inter-rater reliability with ICC = 0.94 in both cases. The total score of each test included in the GMS achieved good intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.76--0.94), with nine out of the ten achieving good inter-rater reliability (ICC \> 0.75). Average kappa values for the intra-rater analysis for each body segment demonstrated moderate to very good reliability across the GMS (k = 0.4--0.84); however, the inter-rater reliability reported for most of the segments was only fair (k = 0.20--0.37). The GMS has good levels of total score and total exercise score reliability when examined by both experienced and novice raters. An experienced rater can reliably use total score, total exercise score and body segment scores; whereas, novice raters should use body segment scoring with caution.