
The World Health Organization recognises World Mental Health Day on 10 October – a time to raise awareness about mental wellbeing.
Paris Saint-Germain and England goalkeeper Mary Earps is a player who has spoken openly about her mental health. When asked by FIFPRO where her motivation to talk about it comes from, Earps says: "I'm someone who always tries to put across authenticity."
She continues: "We live in a world where, especially in the UK, it's that whole stiff upper lip and we don't talk about our struggles. I think my spontaneous openness on the topic was not something that I really planned to speak about but has opened and invited a lot of conversation.

"The fans who come to watch the games and the way that people stop me or want to talk to me about their struggles and thank me for being open, that's the continuous motivation to show that we're all just human beings trying to do our best and we all go through different things.
"The biggest misconception is that life is easy – it's not. Life is not fair. Bad things happen. But it's about how you deal with that information; that whole saying about life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent what you make of it. We're all just trying to swim and not drown."
What FIFPRO and member unions are doing to support players’ mental health
Raising awareness of mental health struggles faced by footballers in today’s game is one of FIFPRO’s most pressing concerns. Research shows that up to 38 percent of footballers suffer from mental health symptoms during their career, according to a FIFPRO study in 2015.
FIFPRO, with the help of mental health experts, created a toolkit for its member unions to educate players about symptoms, stressors, stereotypes and how to empathise.
• Everything you should know about mental health and wellbeing
• Signs and symptoms to help you identify mental health issues
Various player unions are set up to support players with questions about mental health and have established partnerships with specialists who can help players.
In 2022, FIFPRO also set up a Mental Health Taskforce – a structured support group for players from all national teams to have a safe space to share their stories and learn from others.