In June 2021, the Counter-Strike Professional Players' Association (CSPPA) and Danish online mental health company We.Care announced a new mental health support program for esports players. Every CSPPA member will be able to reach a clinical psychologist at any time for a confidential consultation. The specialists include psychologists with experience working with professional athletes and gamers.
CSPPA representatives note that the number of players showing symptoms of stress and burnout has grown recently. To address this, the association had earlier run a pilot project with the North team, and now the support is being opened to all players.
Martin "STYKO" Styk, a FunPlus Phoenix player and CSPPA board member, says CS:GO players are especially vulnerable to mental health problems because of stress and a packed schedule of competition and practice. That makes a support program they can use online, at a time that suits them, particularly valuable.
A 2019 study by the University of Chichester found that professional CS:GO players face several dozen stress factors. In that respect they differ little from elite athletes in traditional sports and need psychological preparation too. The CSPPA had previously announced it would study the factors affecting players' mental health, and the demands awaiting anyone who wants to reach the pro scene are covered in our guide on how to become a pro player.
