The Chief Executive of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is encouraging athletes and sport staff to prioritise mental health and wellbeing and seek support in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
Chief Executive of AIS, Peter Conde said demand for the AIS Mental Health Referral Network (MHRN) increased 79 per cent at the start of the year compared to the same period last year.
“The MHRN has also received as many referrals in March 2021 as were received in January and February combined,” Mr Conde said.
“The impact of COVID was the primary or secondary issue in about 80 per cent of the referrals, but Games preparation and selection, work stress and general wellbeing were also among the key themes,” he said.
“An AIS Mental Health Audit of almost 700 athletes, coaches and support staff in 2020 revealed almost one-in-two athletes were dealing with anxiety and stress because of the postponement of the Games.”
Mr Conde reminded Australia’s high performance sporting family that help was always at hand.
He said anxiety was natural given the unique and complex preparation for the Tokyo Games, as well as the shifting environments in Australia and abroad
“There has been a rise in people reaching out to the AIS Mental Health Referral Network, but that doesn’t need to be cause for alarm,” he said.
“In fact, we can be assured that people are increasingly aware of this valuable service and are reaching out more often, as and when they need it.”
Mr Conde said it was important to acknowledge that some sports and teams were using the MHRN services as a regular check-in for athletes and staff.
The AIS Mental Health Referral Network can be accessed at this PS News link.
