A new study examining the impact of COVID-19 on community sports participants in Australia finds that men report much poorer mental health when they stop playing and exercising compared to women.
The survey of more than 2000 Australians found that men aged 18-29 were hardest hit, reporting the worst overall health and life satisfaction when they compared their well-being before and during the COVID lockdown.
Older men indicated that sport is their “man’s shed,” which gives them valuable opportunities to connect with other men, not just on the field, green, or field, but socially and personally.
Lead researcher Professor Rochelle Eime said the results showed the important social and psychological role of community sport for men.
“Some men talk to their clubmates about things they don’t even tell their families or their doctors.
“The study shows that as sports clubs are an incredibly important environment for many men, clubs may need to pay special attention to re-entering vulnerable men who have experienced poorer mental health due to COVID restrictions and may struggle to get back on board to get involved.” She said.
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Many men are still suffering
Dave Burt, founder of Sport & Life Training (SALT) — a nonprofit that works with sports clubs to build mental health resilience — agrees COVID restrictions have been a major challenge for many men who play sport as one appreciate a crucial part of their lives.
Losing sport to COVID restrictions tends to compound life’s other pressures, leading to the most extreme suicidal thoughts, he added.
“During COVID, men in the sporting environment lost their routines, their movement, and their habit of interacting and being there for each other — in and out of sport.”
He said even though restrictions have been lifted, many men report they are still suffering.
“I don’t know a single man right now who says they’re thriving and things are back to where they should be.”
dr Eime said community sport is often thought of as something for children to play, but this research has shown it’s important for adults too – physically, mentally and socially.
“Sports clubs need to ensure they have the capacity to recover and that everyone in those clubs – participants, volunteers, coaches and administrators – is given support and encouragement to return.”
The study “The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the perceived health and well-being of adult Australian participants in sport and exercise” was recently published in BMC Public Health and also included researchers from the Federation and Flinders University.