More athletes are seeking mental health support in Australia
March 15, 2022, 3:28 am

More athletes are seeking mental health support in Australia

Australian athletes' demand for mental health support surges (File photo: Pixabay)

The Xinhua reported, according to a report released on Tuesday that an unprecedented number of Australian athletes, their coaches and other sports-related staff are seeking support for their mental health.

The report from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) noted that referrals for its Mental Health Referral Network (MHRN), which consists of more than 60 psychologists and health clinicians, soared from 264 in 2020 to 444 last year.

Sports authorities noted that the 68 percent surge in demand for the MHRN coincided with a turbulent year for many elite athletes who had to train for the Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing while being hampered by restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIS research among the nation's 2,500 high-performance athletes showed one in three were dealing with mental health or wellbeing concerns.

Australia-Melbourne-South wharf (File photo: Pixabay)

AIS Acting CEO Matti Clements said there were many reasons people sought mental health support including for their "relationships, transition in and out of sport, training, anxiety, sleep, nutrition and just general wellbeing".

"The pleasing thing for the AIS is that people in sport are more aware of the support available and are more willing to reach out for it," Clements said, adding that "we want to encourage more coaches and past athletes to seek this support."

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As part of its commitment to help athletes, the AIS will conduct its "Mental Health Audit" in May, a survey held every two years to help guide future services and support.

Clements said: "Some people may think 'this doesn't apply to me; I'm not impacted by mental health or wellbeing issues right now'," addig that "But every person's participation is important."

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"The more views we get from people across elite sport, the better we can provide for everyone's needs."

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.