My primary research interests lie in the area of athlete welfare, including stress, coping and performance, psychological skills training and behaviour change, and the organisational environment of elite sport. I am particularly interested in how those individuals who operate within high performance sporting environments utilise personal and social resources as they negotiate the various demands placed upon them across their professional careers. I am also interested in mental wellbeing in wider occupational environments and the role that psychological skills and resilience can play in facilitating health and performance.
Refereed Academic Journal Articles: (Selected)
Baldock, L., Cropley, B., Mellalieu, S. D., & Neil, R. (2022). A longitudinal examination of stress and mental ill-/well-being in elite football coaches. The Sport Psychologist, 1, 1-12.
Seguin, C. M., Culver, D. M., Mellalieu, S. D., Christie, S., Goss, J., & Roorda, S. (2021). What's our role? Mental performance consultants' perspectives on supporting concussed athletes. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2021.1971811
Jones, B., et al. (2022). Contributors to negative biopsychosocial health or performance outcomes in rugby players (CoNBO): A systematic review and Delphi study protocol. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 8(4), e001440. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001440
Armino, N., Gouttebarge, V., Mellalieu, S. D., Schlebusch, R., van Wyk, J. P., & Hendricks, S. (2021). Anxiety and depression in athletes assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)-a systematic scoping review. South African Journal of Sports Medicine, 33(1). https://doi.org/10.17159/2078-516X/2021/v33i1a10679
Mitchell, L. A., Knight, C. J., Morris, R., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2021). "Maybe I'm just not good enough?": British swimmers' experiences of attempting to qualify for the Olympic Games. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13953
Baldock, L., Cropley, B., Neil, R., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2021). Stress and mental well-being experiences of professional football coaches. The Sport Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2020-0087
Mellalieu, S. D., Jones, C., Wagstaff, C. R. D., Kemp, S. P. T., & Cross, M. (2021). Measuring psychological load in sport. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 42(09): 782-788. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1446-9642
Barker, J., Slater, M., Pugh, G., Mellalieu, S. D., McCarthy, P., Jones, M., & Moran, A. (2020). The effectiveness of psychological skills training and behavioural interventions in sport using single-case designs: A meta regression analysis of the peer-reviewed studies. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 51, 101746. doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101746
Stokes, K. A., Jones, B., Bennett, M., Close, G. L., Gill, N., Hull, J. H., Mellalieu, S. D., ... & Stewart, B. (2020). Returning to play after prolonged training restrictions in professional collision sports. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 41, 895–911. Doi:10.1055/a-1180-3692
Strutzenberger, G., Edmunds, R., Nokes, L. D., Mitchell, I. D., Mellalieu, S. D., & Irwin, G. (2020). Player–surface interactions: perception in elite soccer and rugby players on artificial and natural turf. Sports Biomechanics, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2020.1720279.
Till K., Weakley J., Read D., Phibbs, P., Darrall-Jones J., Roe G., Chantler S., Mellalieu S. D., Hislop M., Stokes K., Rock A., & Jones B. (2020). Applied sport science for male age-grade rugby union in England. Sports Medicine-Open, 6(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-020-0236-6
Sly, D., Wagstaff, CRD & Mellalieu, S. D. (2020). "It's psychology Jim, but not as we know it!": The changing face of applied sport psychology practice. Sport and Exercise and Performance Psychology, 9 (1), 87-101. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000163
Bruton, A. M., Mellalieu, S. D., & Shearer, D. A. (2019). Who said "there is no 'I' in team"? The effects of observation content level on efficacy beliefs in groups. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 45, 101563. doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.101563
Hendricks, S., Till, K., Brown, J., Drake, D., Oliver, J.L., Attwood, M., Jones, B. & Mellalieu, S. D. (2019). The Rating of Perceived Challenge as a measure of internal load for technical skill performance. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 53, 611-613. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099871
Hendricks, S., Till, K., Oliver, J.L., Johnston, R.D., Attwood, M., Brown, J., Drake, D., MacLeod, S., Mellalieu, S. D., Treu, P., Roddy Grant, R., & Jones, B. (2018). Narrative review: Tackle contact skills for Rugby Union – a technical skill training framework and a pre-season training plan. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 40(5):44-50. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000400
Sellars, P. S., Mellalieu, S. D., & Knight C. J. (2018). Continued participation in adolescent male rugby union: Stakeholders' perspectives. The Sport Psychologist, 32, 93-101.
Mellalieu, S.D. (2017). Sport psychology consulting in professional rugby union in the United Kingdom. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action. 8 (2), 109-120.
Hayward, F. P. I., Knight, C. J., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2017). A longitudinal examination of stressors, appraisal, and coping in youth swimming. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 29, 56-68.
Jones, C., Griffiths, P. C., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2017). Injury and illness associations with longitudinally monitored training load and fatigue variables in sporting populations: A systematic review. Sports Medicine. 47 (5), 943-974.
Bruton, A.M, Shearer, D., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2014). Observation interventions as a means to manipulate collective efficacy in groups. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 36, 27–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2013-0058
Edited Books:
Mellalieu, S. D., & Hanton, S. (Eds.) (2015). Contemporary reviews in sport psychology. London, UK: Routledge.
Hanton, S., & Mellalieu, S. D. (Eds.) (2012). Professional practice in sport psychology: A review. London, UK: Routledge
Mellalieu, S. D., & Hanton, S. (Eds.) (2009). Applied sport psychology advances: A review. London, UK: Routledge.
Books Chapters:
Mellalieu, S. D., & Neil, R. (2023). Psychological preparation for rugby. In C. Twist & P. Worsfold (Eds.), The science of rugby (pp. 67-83). Routledge.
Shand, R. A., Dohme, L-C., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2022). The psychosocial development of the youth rugby player. In K. Till, J. Weakley, S. Whitehead, & B. Jones (Eds.), Youth rugby (pp. 169-182). Routledge.
Shand, R. A., Dohme, L-C., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2022). The psychosocial development of youth rugby players. In K. Till, J. Weakley, S. Whitehead, & B. Jones (Eds.), The young rugby player: Science & application (pp. 151-167). Routledge.
McKay, C. D., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2021). When injuries lead to retirement (Calling it a day). In C. D. McKay (Ed.), The mental impact of sports (pp. 153-166). Routledge.
Mellalieu, S. D. (2020). Multilevel adversity and growth in sports teams: A professional practice perspective. In R. Wadey, M. Day, & K. Howells. Growth following adversity in sport (pp. 201-221). Routledge.
Baldock, L., Hanton, S., Mellalieu, S. D., & Williams, J. (2020). Understanding and managing stress in sport. In J. M. Williams, & V. Krane (Eds.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (8th ed., pp. 210-243). McGraw Hill.
Baldock, L., Cropley, B. J., Neil, R., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2020). Stress and well-being of those operating in groups. In D. Hackfort & R. Schinke (Eds.), The Routledge International Encyclopedia of Sport and Exercise Psychology (pp. 620-633). Routledge.
Slater, M., Barker, J., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2016). Change, conflict and culture management. In C. R. D. Wagstaff (Ed.), Organizational psychology in sport (pp. 106-129). Routledge.
Mellalieu, S. D. (2016). Working within professional rugby union. In R. Schinke & D. Hackfort (Eds.), The Routledge companion of professional sport and performance psychology(pp. 215-229). Routledge.
