Tackling issues of depression

SPORT LEAN ON ME CAMPAIGNTHE RECENT death of former soccer player and Wales manager Gary Speed offered a reminder of that depression affects every strata of society, including those in the sporting fraternity. High profile cases, Alan Quinlan, Andy O'Brien, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Marcus Trescothick, to name but four, tend to commandeer the headlines, which in some respects can be viewed positively in drawing attention to an illness, where previously many suffered in silence.

The willingness of sports people to step forward and personalise their battle with mental health issues has introduced a greater awareness and in most cases, empathy amongst the public, a statement endorsed by the findings carried out on behalf of the Lean on Me campaign to promote positive mental health.

Lean on Me, supported by Lundbeck Ireland and Aware, is an ongoing campaign to encourage open discussion on depression and to provide people with the knowledge and resources to recognise symptoms in themselves, friends or loved ones ( www.leanonme.net).

They have also produced a booklet called Lean on Me – To Win, with contributions from former Munster and Ireland rugby international Quinlan, Dublin footballer Paul Griffin and performance coach Caroline Currid on recognising and coping with depression.

The initiative was endorsed at a launch yesterday by the general secretary of Players Football Association of Ireland (PFAI), Stephen McGuinness, and Irish Rugby Union Players’ Association (IRUPA) chief executive Omar Hassanein, along with Currid and Bohemians’ captain and assistant manager Owen Heary.

Bohs actually sported the Lean on Me logo on their jerseys for Monday night’s 2-1 victory over Portadown in the Setanta Cup. McGuinness acknowledged: “We could all be more positive in our outlook in life at times. For those living with depression it is important to understand that they are not alone and by opening up and seeking support they are taking the first steps towards recovery.

“The PFAI is there for our members to lean on and we’re proud to be involved with Lean on Me.”

Hassanein explained that IRUPA has a members’ hotline where mental health issues can be discussed with 100 per cent confidentiality. “We get a report twice a year from the organisation that runs it. People don’t get named but we track the number of calls so we have a fair idea that a number of players have issues.

“I guess we’ve estimated perhaps five per cent of our membership (140-150 senior, 70 academy players) would have called for one reason or another. You’re talking about some serious issues in some cases. Other guys perhaps don’t ring but take a different path, whether approaching our player services programme or seeking their own counselling advice.”

He pointed out numbers are growing and that may be attributable to the first full-fledged generation of professional rugby players.

“We are now seeing the first generation of players who have been fully professional coming through from school, playing 12-14 years as a professional and with that comes perhaps less life skills and not as good a grasp of the real world.

“Sometimes players are in a cocoon. We see that being a contributing factor.

“There are a large portion of players living contract to contract and there is uncertainty in their lives which, if anything, can make them more prone to mental health issues than the average person.”

For Bohs stalwart Heary an alarming development was noticing signs of depression in several teenagers in the club. He set about helping out, speaking to parents, teachers and eventually steering one particular young player to seek professional help: the transformation in the youngster’s outlook underlined the importance of intervention.

Heary is keen to support the Lean on Me campaign. “I didn’t know there was a support group that the PFAI had and it was only by me ringing up Stevo (McGuinness), who said: ‘Yeah there is.’ It wasn’t broadcast as much as I think it should have been.

“Now you see Lean on Me as well. Maybe it took a tragedy as well along the way for that to happen. That’s unfortunate but what comes out of it is that anyone who does have depression will talk about it.”