"If I'm Not There Mentally, I Won't Perform the Way I Need to": A Qualitative Study Exploring Mental Health and Officiating Performance.

INTRODUCTION

Much of the existing research on sport officials' mental health adopts a deficit-oriented lens, emphasizing how psychological demands of the role such as abuse and scrutiny lead to negative mental health and performance decline, overlooking how mental health may actively enable effective performance.

METHODS

This qualitative study, grounded in a constructivist epistemology, described how sport officials interpret the relationship between mental health and officiating performance. Data from eight semistructured interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three themes were constructed: (a) Mental Health as a Dynamic Influence on Officiating Performance, (b) Leveraging Mental Health to Support Performance, and (c) Access to Mental Health Resources.

DISCUSSION: Findings reveal a complex relationship in which mental health may be undermined by officiating demands, leading to performance disruptions, but may also be leveraged to sustain effective performance. Practical recommendations are offered for developing organizational strategies that promote psychological well-being within the officiating community.