Prof Kruger tackles mental health issues

2020-06-18

Prof. Kruger is the Director for the SA Institute of Psychology & Wellbeing, Performance Consultant at Munster Rugby and Visiting Professor for Sports Medicine, Exercise & Health at the University College London. Prof. Kruger also assists the Lions teams on a consultancy basis and have been involved with the Springboks as well.

 

During International Men’s Health Awareness Week, it is important to focus not only on the physical health, but also on the mental health of men. Although elite sports people are a ‘selection from a selection’ when it comes to the best sporting talent in the world, they are still human beings, susceptible to the same challenges and difficulties we all face. Current research we are busy conducting into the mental health of elite rugby players in South Africa, England and Ireland, suggests that elite rugby players can be even more vulnerable when it comes to the presence of common mental health disorders (CMD’s) such as anxiety and depression.

Although in the general population around 20-25% of people will struggle with a CMD during year, we found that elite rugby squads were varying from the lowest we found at 12,5%, ranging up to 42% in one particular team we were working with. These statistics represent the rugby population under normal circumstances, so during exceptional times like the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to place an even higher premium on the mental health of this group.

With most teams taking a salary cut during the lockdown period, as a result of games and rugby related activities were suspended, this probably compounded the pressure on players. Elite players already have a limited shelf-life, so they have to ensure that they secure themselves financially as much as they can during the prime of their careers. With all the uncertainty around the future of rugby, the change of the global season, the fact that acquiring new contracts are not rife, the financial concerns that some players have and then the fear of returning to training (mostly the fear of bringing the virus home to loved ones), it highlights the additional pressures that players will experience during this time. On top of this, there are the concerns about their form and worry about sustaining injuries due to a lack of game time. It is therefore imperative that franchises and unions pay special attention to the mental health of players. 

My team and I, at the Centre for Health & Human Performance, in conjunction with MyPlayers, facilitated webinars with all the professional rugby players in South Africa during the past few weeks on Defusing Anxiety, and it was evident from the data collected during these sessions, that the vast majority of players reported elevated levels of anxiety. This is something that cannot be ignored, therefore franchises and unions have to put processes in place to support players during this time.

Players who are struggling can contact the MyPlayers 24/7 Mental Health Helpline (076 349 3409) operated by the Institute of Psychology & Wellbeing (NWU) who will arrange the necessary support and consultations to support any players in need of help. 

In the second part of his article, Prof. Kruger focuses on the Impact of COVID-19 on elite sports people. Keep a look out on our social media pages and website for that.