The Counter-Strike Professional Players’ Association (CSPPA) and We.Care, a Danish online service that offers clinical psychologists specialized in issues related to the environment of professional sports, have developed the first mental health program for CS:GO players.
The initiation was made to assist players who have been showing symptoms of stress and burnout, the CSPPA announced today. Last year, several top CS:GO players such as Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander, Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth, and Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer took a temporary break from competition due to mental stress. The partnership will provide a dedicated clinical psychologist that all the CSPPA members can reach out to via video or message whenever and wherever they need.
“When it comes to mental health issues, CS:GO players are particularly exposed to such issues because of the stress of our busy tournament and practice schedules,” Martin “STYKO” Styk, FunPlus Phoenix’s rifler and one of the CSPPA board members said in an official press release. “So, this mental health program is completely online driven and flexible according to the players’ demands.”
The We.Care therapists are specialized in treating gaming-related issues and have experience in working with athletes from “various top-level sports.”
“CS:GO players are not too different from other elite athletes in terms of how their minds play a part in their performance,” We.Care’s CEO and founder Linisha Palm said.
“So, our therapists have an elite sports background making them able to truly understand what kind of pressure CS:GO players are under. At the same time, though, CS:GO is a very unique discipline with rigorous training programs that can take a toll on anyone.”
The announcement of the mental health program comes nine months after CSPPA partnered with We.Care for the first time and offered assistance for North players during a two-month trial.
