The Sport Wellbeing Hub

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is the biggest health crisis for generations. The pandemic has increased the mental health risks for our society. 

Before the crisis hit, mental illness was already the single largest cause of ill health and disability in Northern Ireland with around 1 in 5 adults and around 45,000 of children suffering from a mental health problem at any one time. The impact of COVID-19 will see a further increase on numbers.

The impact of COVID-19 has exacerbated the pre-existing troubled state of affairs regarding mental health in NI and across the UK;

• The UK's largest domestic abuse charity, Refuge, has reported a 700% increase in calls to its helpline in a single day
• Young Minds reveals 32% of young people agreed that COVID-19 had made their mental health much worse and 51% agreed that it had made their mental health a bit worse; In Northern Ireland, stigma is still a major deterrent to seeking help for mental illness
• Prescription rates for mood and anxiety disorders has increased in NI with a higher rate in women than men. 

Sport NI CEO Antoinette McKeown, in partnership with the PHA, announced the launch of The Sport Wellbeing Hub in response to the COVID-19 challenge. The Hub is unique. It provides instant access to helpful information, guidance and screening that is tailored specifically to help care for our wellbeing needs. 

The Sport Wellbeing Hub is a valuable online resource that we encourage everyone to use across the sporting community, those who are involved in sport, at all levels and all abilities. Everyone. 

The Sport Wellbeing Hub provides a fantastic range of innovative tools and resources including:

• Guided self-assessment via "Chatbot";
• Self-help programmes and digital intervention tools;
• Searchable "5 ways to wellbeing" map; 
• Wellbeing information library
• Video content featuring some of our sporting heroes talking about mental health

Whether looking for some advice or need a little more direction, please visit The Sports Wellbeing Hub at www.inspiresupporthub.org/sports