NFL Total Wellness recently teamed up with NBA Mind Health to spearhead Pro Athlete Mental Health Awareness Week, which began on October 3 and culminated on World Mental Health Day, October 10. Throughout the observance, mental health professionals promoted mental health awareness and wellness among professional athletes across all sports.
Professional athletes have significant stress. They are expected to perform at a high level and are under near-constant evaluation by their teams, their league, and the public. As a result, many athletes feel pressure to project an appearance of strength and toughness. These dynamics make it challenging to discuss mental health struggles, as there is often a fear this may be perceived as a “weakness.” Through efforts such as Pro Athlete Mental Health Awareness Week, wellness professionals are endeavoring to create a space for discussing mental health-related topics within the pro sports community.
The eight days of the observance were devoted to different topics, which included various mental health conditions, forming identities outside sports and avoiding isolation. Participating health professionals were encouraged to post on social media in a way that challenged the perceived stigma surrounding mental health topics.
Participants were encouraged to post on a different topic for each day of the observance.
Participants were also given specific information and resources to share on social media, as seen in the two posts above.
“I think the culture shift has been that we took mental health from being behind closed doors … to something that we recognize that needs to be fully integrated,” Dr. NiiLampti said. “We need to make sure that we promote this idea of being proactive as we build our mental health. I shouldn’t have to have a problem to want to build or enhance myself in this area.”
Dr. Kensa Gunter, Director of NBA/WNBA Mind Health, hosted the observance’s signature event on October 6 on Twitter Spaces. That event focused on creating a healthy environment and incorporating wellness into everyday discussions with professional athletes.
Dr. Gunter was joined by Dr. Nyaka NiiLampti, NFL Vice President of Wellness and Clinical Services; Dr. Tricia Bent-Goodley, Team Clinician for the Baltimore Ravens; Dr. Angel Brutus, Director and Lead Mental Health Provider for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee; Dr. Alex Auerbach, Director of Wellness and Development for the Toronto Raptors; and Dr. Ron Kimmons, Vice Present of Player & Team Wellness for the Utah Jazz.
The panel shared best practices and tips for mental health clinicians to use when interacting with athletes and the people in their ecosystems, including coaches and trainers.
