This month Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, addressed an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Sport meeting as he helped to launch the ‘Moving for mental health’ report co-produced by his charity, the Sport for Development Coalition, and the Universities of Loughborough and Edge Hill. In his address, Paul reflects on the “strong position” that community sport and sport for development occupies when it comes to supporting people “to move more to lead healthier and happier lives in settings where they can thrive”.
Since the APPG for Sport's last update in Mental Health Awareness Week 2019, the whole world and all of our mental health has been impacted by the pandemic. Covid-19 has deepened inequalities and will have a lasting impact well into this new year, at a time when we are still surrounded by change and uncertainty.
Our research during the pandemic (published in July 2021) has shown that one in four adults, and more than one in six young people experienced mental distress for the first time during the pandemic. For people already experiencing mental health problems, two thirds of adults and more than two thirds of young people say their mental health became worse since the first national lockdown.
PREVENTATIVE
We know that physical activity has been a key coping mechanism for many during the pandemic. That is, perhaps, not surprise considering that exercising outdoors was one of the few reasons we could leave the house during the lockdowns. Joe Wicks, Boris Johnson and Chris Whitty have each highlighted the importance of moving more to improve your mood. This has reinforced the positive message that we’ve been sharing about physical activity both as a preventative measure and a way of maintaining good mental health. The message to move for our mental health and build time being active outdoors, for example through taking short walks in day light hours, has, of course, never been as relevant as right now when many of us are working from home, our lives interrupted by the pandemic. We are encouraging this right now through our ‘Move for Mind’ initiative.
Our own research suggests that half of adults and more than half of young people have coped by exercising during the pandemic. Yet overall (via Sport England Active Lives 2021), we’ve seen physical activity levels for people with a disability or long-term health condition (including mental health problems) decline. These have not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels with only 45% of people meeting the Government guidelines.
We are fearful that a return to activity may be slower for people with mental health problems and that, without additional support, many may not return at all. Which is why we need a collective effort to reach those who need support the most.
While physical activity can be a key tool in our wellbeing ‘kitbag’, it must come with caution. It is not a panacea for our mental health. Most people will need a combination of support, such as medication and talking therapy, alongside a balanced physical activity routine that includes rest days – because there can be too much of a good thing, particularly for people at risk of over-exercising.
Through our ‘Get Set to Go’ programme, funded by Sport England and the National Lottery, we’ve now reached almost 10,000 people with mental health problems to help them overcome the barriers to being active. We’ve done this through peer support, where people with lived experience of mental health problems give support and get support from one another while getting active.
We’ve shared learnings from the Get Set to Go programme with the sector. And are pleased to see peer-led programmes across the sport for development sector.
This can be seen in:
- the recent ‘Time in Mind’ report by Sported
- the Premiership Rugby ‘Hitz’ programme
- Sport in Mind’s work across the South-East
- Rethink’s programmes & Mental Health Swims’ cold water swimming model
- through to RunTalkRun groups
We are seeing how it’s possible to reach people through both delivering community programmes directly, as well as co-designing and delivering targeted programmes for people with mental health problems.
We’ve also seen the sport for development sector, at all levels, pivot their operations. From turning sports stadiums into food banks, testing sites and vaccination centres, to putting a spotlight on mental health by activating their army of staff and volunteers, who usually deliver physical activity projects, to providing wellbeing check-ins.
The power that sport has to tackle stigma should not be underestimated. Through our ‘On Your Side’ partnership with the EFL we’ve raised awareness among 18million fans from across the leagues. The result of this is perhaps best exemplified in a group of away fans from Ipswich unveiling a banner in support of the opposing team’s player Billy Kee.
Thanks to the movement created around the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation, which now has almost 500 signatories, it also seems we’ve reached a tipping point in the way mental health is being talked about in elite sport. From Simone Biles, Adam Peaty and Ben Stokes openly sharing how they needed a mental health break, to Naomi Osaka’s request for reasonable adjustments to manage her media duties for her mental wellbeing’s sake.
In October, we released our own impact report, led by Loughborough University, highlighting how Mind has supported 260,000 sports sector colleagues to better understand and support the mental health of their participants. 88% told us that learnings from our training courses have led to some or substantial difference to their coaching practice.
THERAPY
We know that, through working collaboratively, we can use our resources and expertise to reach even more of the people who need us most. We’d like to see all coaches equipped with the knowledge and skills to support people with mental health problems and for this knowledge to be embedded across the coaching pathway, as outlined in the Duty of Care report.
Almost two thirds of people (65%) told us that they felt physical activity should be offered by a GP alongside medication and talking therapy. We know healthcare professionals are facing unique pressures right now. But by understanding and advocating the benefits of physical activity as well as having the right conversation at the right time, healthcare professionals using the Moving Medicine platform could help vast numbers of people and build upon the successes of social prescribing programmes such as Energise Me.
The sport for development and sport sector has an army of over three million coaches who can help to transform lives through the power of physical activity. Add to that the expertise of the voluntary and community sectors and we are in a strong position to work together to support people to move more to lead healthier and happier lives in settings where they can thrive.
Read the ‘Moving for mental health’ report and recommendations.
