The Major U.S. League Unions Unite for Mental Health Awareness Campaign
May 5, 2023
Six of the major U.S. league unions are teaming up for the first time on mental health support this month for Mental Health Awareness Month in the country. The NFL Players Association (NFLPA), National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), MLB Players Association (MLBPA), MLS Players Association (MLSPA) and Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) have united on a collaborative campaign that will bolster ongoing efforts to invest resources, raise awareness and build a safe space for the wellness of the athlete community.
The leagues state that the emotional wellbeing and mental challenges of athletes have often been ignored or swept under the “competitive blanket of sports.” High-profile athletes have publicly talked about their mental health struggles with some dropping out of major competitions to focus on their wellbeing. According to research, 35% of elite athletes and 30% of student-athletes suffer from mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and stress-related concerns – all of which are amplified for some by the pressure of competition or no longer being able to compete.
Each league has retrospectively made its own commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing with various programs and initiatives. However, the leagues state that by combining their efforts they are “demonstrating their ongoing, unified commitment to prioritize this important issue among their player members while empowering the broader community to do the same.” By coming together for the first time on this subject, the six sports unions share that the campaign, “‘MentalHealthisMAYnstream’ will advance the national and global conversation around mental health and wellness and relate it to the experiences of athletes at every level of competition.”
The collaborative month-long campaign intends to normalize mental health as a vital competent to everyone’s general physical health including athletes. The leagues will share tips and resources from wellness experts, quotes from members of the various sports unions and inspirational stories from athletes on their personal mental health journeys in a bid to showcase that “mental health is a team game, mental health is about recovery and resilience and how to be a mental health advocate.” The campaign will be on the unions’ social media accounts: @NFLPA, @TheNBPA, @NHLPA, @MLBPA and @MLSPA.
These themes will thread the campaign together on social media, where the unions themselves will highlight the various mental health and wellbeing undertakings led by them and their player members. This campaign and demonstration of shared mental health support intend to reinforce the human side of sports and further push to provide both athletes and their communities with necessary wellness resources.
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