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The UK Esports Team Committee (UKETC), a collective of UK-based esports teams, has announced a collaboration involving psychological first aiders.The UKETC was formed in 2021 with the aim of progressing and growing the UK esports industry, and representing the voice of teams within wider industry discussions. Now it’s backed a Movember-funded mental health initiative, co-created alongside gaming not-for-profit Play Aid, which will see the esports teams have physical first aiders.Fnatic, Resolve Esports, MNM Gaming, Excel Esports, Vexed Gaming, Endpoint, Method, and Manchester City Esports have psychological first aiders trained within their teams.

> “We believe that every esports team should have access to psychological first aid and we hope that this collaboration will help to encourage other teams in the space to take the mental health of their staff and athletes seriously.”Jeff Simpkins, UKETC

They all ‘commit to encouraging other esports organisations – of all levels – to take Play Aid’s free psychological first aid course’, as part of the Gamers vs. Depression programme with Movember. Play Aid is a mental health non-profit dedicated to promoting wellbeing in the gaming community, and is supported by Movember, the global charity committed to changing the face of men’s health. With Movember’s funding, Play Aid is providing free Psychological First Aid training for the gaming community. 

The training will equip team members with the skills and knowledge to support players who may be experiencing a psychological crisis. Mental health in esports has been an ongoing topic over the years. The competitive nature of esports can of course cause stress, anxiety and burnout, among other psychological issues. The benefits of psychological first aiders in esports ‘By having a psychological first aider within every team, players can receive immediate support and guidance during a crisis, helping them to navigate their emotions and build resilience,’ the UKETC said in a press release. 

“The scale and influence of esports means that it will play an important part in Movember’s mission,” said Dan Cooper, Director of Innovation at Movember.  “By working closely with esports teams and engaging with the community we can highlight the importance of mental health, self-care and social connections – and to continue to inspire men to take action when it comes to their mental and physical health.”

“We are thrilled to partner with teams within the UKETC to promote the importance of psychological first aid in esports teams”, said Dr John Mills, Play Aid’s Managing Director. “By providing free Psychological First Aid training, we hope to empower esports teams across the world to better support their players’ mental health and wellbeing.”

“We’re delighted to support Play Aid in their mission to promote mental health and wellbeing in the gaming and esports communities,” said Jeff Simpkins, Vice Chair of the UKETC. “We believe that every esports team should have access to psychological first aid and we hope that this collaboration will help to encourage other teams in the space to take the mental health of their staff and athletes seriously.”



UKETC Esports Teams Add Psychological First Aiders

Supported by the Men’s Health Charity Movember, Gamers vs Depression (GVD) is a global mental health project that uses esports to teach gamers about the importance of mental health, self-care, and social connections.

Launched this week, Gamers vs Depression is aiming to establish whether esports can be used as a vehicle to deliver depression literacy programmes to gamers around the world.

Gamers vs Depression founder, Dr John Mills said “We want to equip gamers with knowledge around mental health disorders so they can better support each other.”

The organisation is currently conducting a closed beta test of its programme and looking for around 200 volunteers to give feedback.

In addition to their depression literacy programme, Gamers vs. Depression also provide access to resources to improve gaming performance, improve sleep hygiene, create positive exercise routines, maintain a nutritious diet, as well as a parents guide to supporting gamers. “Everything is free to access” says Dr Mills. 


Play Aid X Movember Announce New Agreement

Using the money raised by our epic community, we’ve been able to fund 11 new mental health initiatives including [Gamers vs Depression](https://gamersvsdepression.org/).

Gamers vs Depression uses online gaming as a vehicle for developing depression literacy and better social connections in adolescent males. Delivered by Play Aid based in Colchester, Essex, the aim is for ‘gaming teams’ to act as a social/peer-support group where young men can openly discuss challenges outside of their immediate network in a safe and supportive manner. 

###### " People have been turning to gaming to fulfil that social connection we’ve not been able to have had in person over the last year. "

The funding comes through our Social Connections Challenge; 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.


Press release originally shared <https://uk.movember.com/story/gaming-as-a-vehicle-to-engage-young-men-around-their-mental-health>


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UKETC Esports Teams Add Psychological First Aiders

Play Aid X Movember Announce New Agreement

Using Gaming to Support Young Men's Mental Health