"Professional sports have traditionally celebrated toughness, especially in the National Football League (NFL), where players are often socialized to "push through" or "man up," hiding emotional strain to maintain an image of resilience. However, this mindset continues to support harmful messaging that vulnerability is a weakness. That perspective endangers performance and overall well-being. Research continually supports that untreated mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and trauma, ultimately impair cognitive functioning and decision-making. This, in turn, can negatively impact performance on the field."
"The Arizona Cardinals celebrated a milestone victory on Sunday, December 7th, not on the field but outside the stadium. Before kickoff, several national and local organizations came together to host the Cardinals' inaugural Raise Awareness for Mental Health activation, featuring mental health advocates, sports psychiatrists, and player development personnel. This effort was a collaboration between the Maricopa County Medical Society, the American Board of Sports and Performance Psychiatry, and the Steele Family Foundation."
The Arizona Cardinals hosted an inaugural Raise Awareness for Mental Health activation before kickoff, convening national and local organizations, mental health advocates, sports psychiatrists, and player development personnel. The activation aimed to bring conversations about athlete mental health into public view and reduce stigma. Professional sports culture often prizes toughness and encourages athletes to hide emotional strain, which can worsen anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and trauma. Untreated mental health concerns impair cognitive functioning and decision-making, undermining on-field performance. Public activations provide visible reminders that athletes are human and can increase willingness to use available mental health services by addressing stigma and accessibility barriers.
Read at Psychology Today
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