Cricket Australia working on early intervention to help players identify mental health concerns
With three high-profile players taking time out to address their mental health, Cricket Australia is turning its attention to young cricketers to try to identify issues before they can develop.
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Cricket Australia has outlined a desire to try to nip mental illness in the bud before young stars reach “breaking point.”
In the space of two weeks, three of the brightest talents in the game have stepped away from the spotlight of national selection to focus on their mental wellbeing, with Will Pucovski following Glenn Maxwell and Nic Maddinson by requesting he not be considered for the first Test.
CA acknowledges that the management of mental health is not something that can ever be fully controlled, but medical chief Alex Kountouris on Friday revealed measures designed to educate and support teenage prospects before they even enter the system.
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In conjunction with mental health organisation Orygen and the Australian Cricketers’ Association, CA has already commissioned a research project to work with underage players in a bid to build awareness among the next generation and also recognise potential triggers.
“We haven’t looked at our underage players previously, but we’re doing a research project similar to the survey of our adult players, to look at the 17 and 18-year-olds in our pathway systems and are they saying any different from those who have already come through the system,” said Kountouris.
“Find out what is emerging and again it builds some awareness but also gives us information about how we can better manage them – and we are starting to focus on our pathway group.
“We’ve got one of our sports psychs at each of the (underage) championships, so if required, they’re there for players and support staff to access discreetly.
“There’s still a lot for us to do. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not saying we’ve got this under control, but we’re trying to better understand – like others in society – what’s required and how can we detect this early before we get to breaking point.”
Kountouris said the process of getting Pucovski, Maxwell and Maddinson back to cricket started almost the moment they announced the need to take a break – but each will happen at different speeds.
Cricket Australia are comfortable that players by their own personal networks once they put their hand up, but a huge investment has been made in trying to identify factors before they materialise.
About 80 per cent of players have completed a new survey into mental health and wellbeing, aimed at building a knowledge base already started by similar previous research projects in 2015 and 2016.
Next year another survey will take place – and results and recommendations will be compared and cross-checked.
“That’s really important, because it allows us to (determine) if (factors) are getting better, worse, or the same, and we expect to see a combination of all that,” said Kountouris.
“We want to compare it to population norms, so (what’s apparent) in other people their own age.
“Importantly this year we’ve asked the right questions … in our online survey … about the players, and asked what they want, and what works for them.
“It’s very individual the management of mental health and well-being and we want to know what players want and be able to have that choice.
“There’s enough resourcing around for that to happen as well.”
Despite the recent run of mental health cases, Kountouris insists cricket is no more or less susceptible to sufferers than in any walk of life.
Originally published as Cricket Australia working on early intervention to help players identify mental health concerns