Mental health and issues of anxiety and depression have been increasingly prevalent in society these days. With social media and every single person being put under a microscope, it's increasingly common to fall victim to some of the pressures that are put on us. Professional athletes are more prone to this than anyone as any mistake they make can spell big trouble for them, especially on social media where fans and detractors can be quite cruel. NBA players have come out and opened up about their mental health issues in the past and the NBA has taken notice. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the NBA has a new mental health policy that will be enforced next season and teams are starting to become privy to it.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner Sports
In the report, it states that every team will need to have one to two "one to two" mental health professional that, of course, need to be licensed. All 30 teams will also need to have at least one psychiatrist on staff who will be there whenever a player needs them. On top of these measures, teams will need to have their own written plans in case something happens to one of their players. They will also have to pledge absolute confidentiality to protect the players from public scrutiny.
This is yet another example of commissioner Adam Silver tending to the health and rights of his players. This can only be a good thing for the NBA and its players moving forward.
