Play Aid Project Selected for Movember Funding

Launched in 2020, the DSCC was aimed at identifying strategies that will strengthen the social connections of men who are struggling with isolation and poor mental health, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns.

We were looking for fresh, innovative technology-based ideas to address the problem of loneliness, isolation and improve social connectedness in men and strengthen their overall mental health. For this challenge, we prioritised men who were at greater risk of social isolation because of where they live, their socio-economic status or cultural backgrounds.

Gamers vs. Depression delivered by Play Aid CIC

This project promotes mental health awareness, social connections, and wellbeing for men (ages 16-34) in the gaming community across the UK, Ireland, and Australia. In addition to organising events and activities to foster connection, the project will involve training Psychological First Aiders with knowledge about the community and embedding them within esports teams to provide psychological support and promote mental wellbeing to team members.

Ivy Lim-Carter, Director, Social Connections, Mental Health & Suicide Prevention at Movember, says: “We’re excited to be embarking on the second phase of this challenge. We have selected 5 projects — of which Gamers vs. Depression is one — which have shown strong outcomes to move forward to second phase - implementation and evaluation over the next two years.

“We want to determine and test whether these projects will work in real world settings and if they strengthen social connections and improve mental health outcomes. We’re now looking forward to seeing how these projects develop and positively impact the lives of boys and men and their communities.”