A study finds local sporting clubs are taking steps to improve their members' mental health, but some need support to implement 'best practice' initiatives.
A Flinders University study has found around half of sporting clubs are currently offering mental health initiatives to their members.Local sporting clubs running their own programs hope they can extend them to reach more sections of the community.
The club decided it needed to try something different to improve conversations around mental health in the tight-knit community.A group of volunteers came together to start a wellbeing committee, dedicated to promoting mental health initiatives at the club. Since the group was established, it has organised regular programs including an awareness round, family fun days, and mental health first aid training.Mr Scordo, who also works as a trained counsellor in the Riverland, said consistently discussing positive mental health habits had transformed the club, both on and off the field."We've had conversations with other clubs around here about how we formed our committee and some of our goals.
"There is this disconnect between sporting clubs wanting to support mental health and actually implementing initiatives," Dr Petersen said."Other prominent barriers include not having the time, the knowledge or the money, since we know volunteers in sporting clubs are already quite burdened." "It really takes the onus off of sporting clubs so that we're providing really explicit guidance taking away some of those burdens around time, money, and knowledge."Earlier this year, the Nangwarry Football Club, based in a small forestry town in SA's south east, was rocked by the sudden death of one of its young players.Celeste Raymond has been working with the club for four years, talking to players about their mental health and offering a safe space to seek support.
"Having someone there as we needed when we had a crisis situation … it really was my role then to be there on site as someone they knew.Ms Raymond, a qualified social worker, said clubs needed to think long term about their players' mental health and not just rely on irregular interventions.
Sport Mental Health Local Sport Community Mental Health Initiatives Men Switch The Play Support Suicide Flinders University Football Club Riverland
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