CSPPA PARTNER WITH WE.CARE
To counter a rising number of players with symptoms of stress and burnout, CSPPA has partnered with mental health care company We.Care to develop a program dedicated to CS:GO.
The partnership provides members of the CSPPA with a dedicated licenced psychologist they can talk to through encrypted video or messaging whenever and wherever they have the need. The service is provided through Danish online mental health care company, We.Care, which offers licensed psychologists specialized in issues associated with professional sports environments.
WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER!
With this partnership the CSPPA will ensure that players have access to licensed therapists in We.Care available around the clock and who are ready to begin the treatment of a player within 24 hours from initial contact. Therapists are specialized in the treatment of gaming-related issues and have a background in working with elite athletes from various top-level sports.
The program is set up to both treat immediate mental issues as well as provide players with a series of mental exercises and educative videos so that they can develop a long term, preventive capacity. Topics can revolve stress, burnout, anxiety, loneliness, depression and other common issues faced by CS:GO players.
“In the beginning I wanted to be strong but as I grew older I realized that part of being a strong teammate is knowing all your weaknesses”
- Markus 'Kjaerbye' Kjærbye
“I think that players in all tiers could really benefit from talking to a professional. If you become a better person, you become a better player”
- Johnny 'JT' Theodosiou
Players on all levels experience mental health issues both related and unrelated to playing the game. We want you to know that you are not alone in this! If you are a professional CS:GO player and you feel you might benefit from talking with a professional psychologist about an issue or to prevent any issues developing further we urge you to reach out to We.Care.
WHY USE AN EXTERNAL PSYCHOLOGIST?
With this program CSPPA provides clinical psychologist treatment outside the scope of the team. The program does not seek to replace the sports psychology treatment often provided by teams. In stead it can be an additional resource for players looking for help on a more personal level.
When developing this program several players mentioned the need to have someone to talk to who is not employed by the team. This makes a huge difference for players and potentially allows them to open up on issues they otherwise would not have felt comfortable to discuss.
CSPPA CONDUCTS EXTENSIVE SURVEY ON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN CS:GO IN COLLABORATION WITH TWO BRITISH UNIVERSITIES
The CSPPA is determined to promote a sustainable working environment for professional players. In doing so, the CSPPA has been collaborating with Dr Phil Birch, Ben Sharpe (University of Chichester, England) and Dr Matt Smith (University of Winchester, England) to plan a comprehensive research project examining the factors influencing mental health of esports players, specifically in CS:GO.
The survey was initiated in August 2020. Please see the press release regarding the launch of the collaboration here.