19 Aug 2014

Mental health report urges greater support for athletes

Mental health report urges greater support for athletes news article image

The charity Mind has published a report which shows that professional athletes may be struggling in silence with mental health issues for fear that asking for help with a mental health problem will negatively affect their careers.

The report, Performance Matters: Mental Health in Elite Sport, is fronted by Mind’s new celebrity ambassador Clarke Carlisle and calls on professional sports clubs, governing bodies and community organisations to forge closer working relationships as part of a pan-sport mental health network.

The research explores how sports' governing bodies and players' organisations currently respond to, manage and prevent mental ill health amongst athletes, and identifies successful programmes which can be shared with other sports.

The report also highlights the individual needs of sportspeople facing a unique set of pressures in their jobs.

Mind found that individuals and players associations such as the Professional Footballers’ Association, Professional Cricketers’ Association and Rugby Players’ Association are taking the lead in looking after athletes' mental health, rather than clubs as employers.

The report concludes that managers, coaches, clubs, governing bodies and players' unions all have a role in supporting sports professionals to manage their mental wellbeing.

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, believes that whilst it’s positive sport is now beginning to support people with mental health issues, more support is needed.

"We are delighted things are starting to happen in sport, to support people with and prevent people from developing mental health problems, but working in isolation is not the solution.

"We want to work with sports governing bodies and other organisations to find better ways of ensuring our sporting heroes, and their families, have the support they need."

Read the Performance Matters: Mental Health in Elite Sport report.

Read more Sport and Recreation Alliance news.

Latest News

14 Aug 2025

Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month: Spotlight on the England Kabaddi Federation

Exploring how a traditional South Asian sport is building community, fostering inclusion, and shaping a more diverse and representative sporting landscape across the United Kingdom.

Read more Arrow Right
12 Aug 2025

Empowering Young People to Lead Through Inclusion, Innovation, and Partnership

Each year on 12 August, International Youth Day shines a spotlight on the vital contributions young people make in building a better, more inclusive world. The 2025 theme, “Youth Advancing Multilateral Cooperation Through Technology and Partnerships”, underscores the creativity, leadership, and collaborative spirit that young people bring to addressing global challenges.

Read more Arrow Right
31 Jul 2025

A United Voice for Sport and Recreation: Alliance launches new five-year strategy

The Sport and Recreation Alliance has today published its new five-year strategy, titled ‘A United Voice for Sport and Recreation’.

Read more Arrow Right

Become a member

Joining the Sport and Recreation Alliance is pretty simple, but worthwhile!

Register now

Our Partners

Admincontrol logoAir IT logoGateley Legal logoSport:80 logoZellar logo93FT logo