An evaluation of CTF

Coping Through Football is currently being evaluated by an independent research team from UCL. This study is funded by a grant from the NIHR School of Public Health Research (Principal Investigator: Dr. Oliver Mason) as part of the Public Health Practice Evaluation Scheme (PHPES).

The evaluation aims at answering a range of questions including:

• Is implementation of the CTF initiative associated with improvements in mental health and physical health outcomes?
• What are the social benefits of CTF for participants of the initiative?
• What are the costs and benefits associated with the delivery of the CTF initiative?

The evaluation is led by Dr Oliver Mason (who has overseen the project’s evaluation since its inception in 2007) assisted by Research Associate Dr Bettina Friedrich.

The first two research papers have been published and are available below:

The first entitled “What is the score?” A review of football-based public mental health interventions covered 16 studies on 15 projects across the country. The majority of studies were qualitative and had positive findings in which the participants reported increased well-being and connectedness, elevation of symptoms and improved physical well-being. However, the outcomes of the quantitative studies were mixed with some results suggesting that not all intended goals were achieved. 

The second paper entitled Evaluation of the Coping Through Football Project: Physical Activity and Psychosocial Outcomes set out to evaluate the psychosocial outcomes and physical activity in participants of Coping Through Football. It found that whilst the impact on psychosocial measures was only moderate, the increase in physical activity in participants was encouraging.