Becoming a professional sportsperson takes a huge amount of dedication; from strict dieting, rigorous training, and constant pressure to perform, becoming a top sportsperson can be all-consuming. The need for mental health support is crucial in this type of environment which can be difficult for young, emerging athletes to navigate and for retiring athletes to suddenly leave.

Vita Pilkington, Research Assistant, researching mental health in elite sportspeople at Orygen, a youth mental health organisation, and a PhD Candidate at the University of Melbourne, researching men’s mental health, joined Danny Chifley on 2SER Breakfast to discuss the need for mental health support for young, emerging athletes and retiring athletes.