AMY PACKER
ection, loneliness and disruption to ation, as well as the challenges of g in difficult or dangerous situations, all cited as additional pressures. perts also believe the loss of team could also have far-reaching implins for youngsters’ mental health. en’s health charity Movember’s ging The Distance report, which ed at the impact of the Covid-19 demic on social connections, aled that 55% of young men (in the 4 age group) said they found not g able to take part in team sport r stressful or very stressful. volvement in team sport forms a part of many young people’s lives,” ains Tracy Herd of Movember. We know that particularly for boys, it huge benefits for mental health and ional wellbeing. It’s where they learn to be part of a team, improve their confidence and develop strong dships. Having that suddenly taken could have a hugely detrimental t on these young athletes.” evious research has shown that adolescence is associated with a lower risk of mental health problems compared with teens who drop out.
A large study of US high school students found that participation in team sports is associated with a 35% reduction in suicidal thoughts and 39% fewer suicide attempts among boys.
The question of when community sport can safely resume within social distancing guidelines is still being debated.
But when that day comes, help will be at hand for Zach and his teammates, in the form of an innovative mental fitness programme delivered by Movember and the Rugby League Cares charity.
The Ahead of The Game programme teaches teenage athletes about mental health in the familiar surroundings of their club changing rooms.
Suicide is the leading cause of death of men aged 15 to 49 and there is growing awareness of the risks young men can face, if they cannot talk openly about mental health.
Over the next 16 months, the workshops will be delivered to 8,000 young players and their parents, rugby club coaches, match officials and volunteers as part of a ground-breaking partnership with Rugby League World Cup 2021. Because rugby league is so deeply embedded in the northern communities it serves, it is hoped that the scheme will make a real impact in areas where poor mental health is prevalent and suicide rates are some of the highest in England. A squad of 20 ex-professional players, including former Great Britain and England International Keith Senior, Wales International Paul Highton and New Zealand International and TV pundit Robbie Hunter-Paul – all of whom have spoken openly about their own struggles – will deliver the
Samaritans (116 123 jo@samaritans.org); Young Minds Parents Helpline (0808 802 55440)
Teenagers build resiliance on two hour-long workshops. They teach the young players how to spot when a friend may be suffering and how they can support them.
“The idea is that the boys learn to apply the resilience they build up on the pitch, along with the mental fitness training they get in the changing rooms, more widely in their lives,” says Emma Goldsmith of Rugby League Cares.
Movember’s Ahead of The Game was devised by a team of sports psychologists at the University of Wollongong in Australia. It has been tested on 350 boys aged between 12-18 across three different sports including football, rugby league and swimming, over a season-long period.
Teenage boys who took part in the study – the biggest of its kind in the world – demonstrated a greater understanding of what mental health is, had greater intentions to help others who have a mental health problem and were more
We all feel sad or down from time to time. For young people, it’s normal to have the occasional mood swing, feel irritable and to be sensitive to rejection or criticism. This can make it harder to tell if what they’re experiencing are normal feelings or if they are becoming depressed.
In young men depression may be more likely to manifest itself as extra aggression or irritability (temper) than mood swings or bouts of unexplainable crying. Some behaviours to look out for include:
1 Disturbed sleep or sleeping patterns that have significantly changed over the past few weeks. Changes in appetite or eating patterns. For example, they may eat a lot more or a lot less than they usually do.
3 Sudden weight loss or gain.
4 Are they struggling to concentrate or to get things done that they would normally be able to do?
5 If you notice that they are not talking to their friends any more it might be time to check in and have a conversation with them.
6 It is common for teens to experiment as they develop. However, if you notice they are engaging in risky behaviours more frequently or doing something which is different to what they would normally do, it might be time to have a conversation.
If you notice multiple changes in behaviour and if these symptoms last for two weeks or more, it might be time to seek help. (See helplines below) confident about seeking help themselves, if needed.
The study’s lead investigator Dr Stewart Vella, says: “Giving young men the skills to cope with a mental health problem is really important as we know that half of all mental health problems have their onset before the age of 14.
“We really need to equip young men of that age to be able to deal with these challenges. Sport is a very engaging way of doing that.”
Zach and Chris are both enthusiastic about the idea of having the lessons delivered by ex-players.
“I’d be much more likely to listen to someone who knows the game and understands what it’s like when it has been taken away from you,” says Zach.
“It’s a brilliant idea,” says Chris. “It’s really helpful to be able to understand the difference between normal teenage behaviour and when it might be something more serious. It can be very hard to distinguish between the two at times.”
WHERE TO GET HELP:
‘‘ Involvement in team sport has huge benefits for mental health and wellbeing