World Mental Health Day 2023
Welcome back to you, my reader, and me.
After a much-needed hiatus from this blog, I am vowing to be back consistently. I couldn’t find a better day than World Mental Health Day to restart this blog. The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day is mental health is a universal human right. Having recently completed my doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology, I have been in the reflection zone (for quite a bit) and it made me think about the wider role of a sport psychologist.
In a world that is increasingly recognising the importance of mental health, it is crucial to understand that mental well-being is a universal human right. Athletes, like all individuals, deserve the opportunity to access the support they need to maintain their mental health. This is where sport psychology comes into play, offering invaluable assistance in enhancing athletes’ psychological and emotional resilience. In this blog, I want to attempt to explore the concept of mental health as a universal human right, with a focus on the role the sport psychology fraternity in India has in supporting our sport ecosystem.
The world of sports is highly demanding, both physically and mentally. Athletes face immense pressure to perform at their best, often juggling rigorous training schedules, competitions, and personal lives. This intense lifestyle can take a toll on their mental health. To perform optimally, athletes must be physically and mentally fit. Therefore, mental health support is not just a luxury but a necessity for athletes, ideally.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as a state of well-being in which every individual realises their potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to contribute to their community. Just as physical health is a universal human right, so is mental health. Athletes should have the same rights to mental health support as anyone else. After all, being mentally healthy isn’t just about the absence of illness, is it?
India is a country with a rich sporting tradition, and its athletes have achieved remarkable success on the global stage. Recently, our athletes had the most successful Asian Games in China with a record of 107 medals. The Indian sport fraternity has begun to acknowledge the importance of mental health, not only for athletes’ well-being but also for their performance. In India, where sport plays a significant role in the nation’s identity, it is essential to recognise the imperative role of sport psychologists in advocating for mental health rights for athletes. Working with athletes, coaches, and other stakeholders is the logical first step, however, as I reflect on my professional responsibilities, I believe as qualified practitioners we should be playing an active role in advocating for mental health rights for athletes in India. As I sit at my work desk to write this blog, I am reminded that qualified practitioners not only provide essential mental health support but also play a vital role in raising awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting a culture of mental well-being within the sport ecosystem. As India continues to strive for excellence in sport, it is essential to recognise that the mental health of athletes is a fundamental right that must be protected, and sport psychologists should be the champions of this cause. By supporting and empowering athletes in their mental health journeys, we can ensure that they lead fulfilling lives both inside and outside their sport arenas.
World Mental Health Day is about raising awareness of mental health and driving positive change for everyone’s mental health. This blog is my humble attempt to start these important, sometimes challenging, conversations and steer them in the right direction.
