Football and Mental Health.

Rhetorical question: are we becoming a society more open and honest with itself or merely exposing vulnerabilities? The topic of mental health is on the lips and agendas of many politicians these days. Despite the absence of appropriate funding to address and alleviate mental health, its become almost fashionable to be mental health aware. I sincerely hope the awareness continues to grow.

It was mentioned on the BBC this morning that in the past year, 400 professional football players have sought help for mental health issues. That figure was provided by the Professional Football Association or PFA. Whether or not highly paid professional footballers receive any sympathy is less important than highlighting the fact that regardless of age, race, gender, or personal income mental health is a pervasive issue. Evidently those with wealth, fame and the pressure to succeed aren’t immune to mental health issues.