Is the New NFL Mental Health Policy Enough?

Professional sports organizations are making moves by hiring personnel and enacting policies to support players in mental health. Last summer, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced the hiring of the first-ever director of mental health and wellness, Dr. William D. Parham. Then, late last year, the Carolina Panthers announced the hiring of an in-house therapist, Tish Guerin. Now, the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) have teamed up to develop joint agreements that address both pain management and behavioral health. 

The spotlight on mental health in the NFL has been gaining traction in recent years, particularly as there is an increased focus on the effects of concussions on an individual’s mental wellbeing and in addressing mental health issues at large in our society.  

In 2017, NFL player Brandon Marshall, who was famously diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, spoke with NFL owners at the Annual League Meeting. While I wasn’t personally there, his remarks were shared in coverage of the event.  

“Man, if you would have asked me eight years ago what does mental health mean to me, I would have said mental toughness. Another part of my answer would’ve been, ‘masking pain.’ As football players, we are taught to never show weakness, to never give an opponent an edge. To open up when something hurts, in our culture, is deviant. But when you really sit down and think about it, connecting with those emotions is the real strength.” 

– Brandon Marshall

Mental health is so important to Marshall that he and his wife, Michi, founded PROJECT 375. As listed on the organization’s website and social media bios, “The way People think about Mental Health is Crazy! That’s why our mission is to unlock human potential through conversation, education, and inspiration!” 

As athlete mental health advocates like Marshall continue to come forward to not only offer resources, but to also normalize the conversation, professional organizations are taking note and adopting change.  

What is the new NFL Mental Health Policy?

There are three main clauses defined in the new NFL and NLFPA mental health policy. Here’s how they are defined in the press release: 

1. The NFL and NFLPA will form a Comprehensive Mental Health and Wellness Committee. The Committee will be charged with developing educational programs for players, coaches, club personnel and players’ family members. In addition, the Committee will set to collaborate with local and national mental health and suicide prevention organizations to reduce stigma related to mental health and promote suicide prevention and awareness.
2. It will also now be mandated that each team retains a Behavioral Health Team Clinician focused on supporting players’ emotional and mental health and well being. Each Team Clinician must possess certain minimum qualifications and be retained and jointly approved by the NFL and NFLPA by the start of Training Camp for the 2019 season. The Team Clinician is required to be available to players at the team facility for at least 8-12 hours per week, and must, among other responsibilities, conduct mandatory mental health educational sessions for players and coaching staff.
3. Last but not least, the Clinician must also create and conduct team rehearsals of a Mental Health Emergency Action Plan to implement for the upcoming season.

What are the benefits of the new NFL mental health policy?

Is the new NFL mental health policy a step in the right direction? Absolutely. Going from offering few resources in a sport where the culture is to be tough and to not show “weakness,” this policy opens the doors for players and team personnel who may have previously kept their struggles private.  

While the new policies can’t force anyone to admit they are struggling nor can they make players reach out for help, but by incorporating mental health into normal organization operations, it can certainly put those issues and resolutions on their radars. Furthermore, having someone in-house to go to solves the issues of figuring out who to go and how to reach them.  

Is the new mental health policy enough?

Since its announcement, there has been some criticism that the policy, while a good start, isn’t enough. Specifically, many wonder if the Team Clinician’s requirement to be at the facility for a minimum of 8-12 hours per week is sufficient enough to make an impact. That’s a lot of people to be available to in a very short amount of time. Plus, with everything that a team has going on during training and during the season, their schedules are already stretched thin. Still, it is a starting point that didn’t exist before and that is to be commended. 

The future of mental health in the NFL is yet to be seen. In my mind, there are at least two markers for success. Regardless of what the public statements may be, the teams will have to be involved (i.e., the efforts are for more than just a move to improve the league’s image). One, the policies need to be respected by all members of the organization and heralded as much as any physical training or rehab. Two, the Team Clinician as well as the players and staff are consulted on the effectiveness of the policies, which should be amended regularly based on their feedback. 

We still have a long way to go with mental health in sports and in society, however, it’s encouraging that organizations like the NFL and NBA are leading the way in bridging the gap between viewing mental health as a taboo illness to something that is at the top of the list in a person’s overall wellness. Mental health organizations have existed for many years, but we haven’t quite broken the ceiling on the stigma of mental illness just yet, even though millions of people have experienced some form of a mental health issue. The more we talk about it, and the more we realize that no one is immune to it, the more our overall health and wellness will improve.

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