Fans leave the Golden 1 Center after the NBA basketball game between the New Orleans Pelicans and ... [+] Sacramento Kings was postponed at the last minute in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, March 11, 2020. The league said the decision was made out of an "abundance of caution," because official Courtney Kirkland, who was scheduled to work the game, had worked the Utah Jazz game earlier in the week. A player for the Jazz tested positive for the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

For those impacted by it, both within and outside the sports world, understanding and managing the physical health and prevention side of the novel coronavirus outbreak currently facing our world is the obvious top priority. All should take great care and follow the latest guidelines set out by the CDC, Johns Hopkins and other top health resources to keep themselves and their families safe from coronavirus and the resulting COVID-19 condition.

For many, though, from athletes and other staffers with professional sports teams to ordinary citizens, theres another important health area to consider here as well: Mental health.

With large chunks of the country either mandating or strongly suggesting social distancing and other similar themes and resulting postponements or full-on cancellations of leagues like the NBA, NHL and numerous college athletics the mental health landscape will be changing for millions of people in coming days and weeks. Those used to certain levels of social interaction will be without them. Some worry about risks like cabin fever or other forms of anxiety, especially in people already prone to issues in these areas.

What follows is a question-and-answer session with Dr. Scott Goldman, Director of Performance Psychology and Identified Team Clinician for an NFL team and a regular contractor in the NBA (these teams must remain anonymous for confidentiality purposes).

Dr. Goldman, who has spent decades on the mental health side of the sports world, including multiple top-tier leagues and teams, provides insights into how professional and collegiate sports organizations are managing the mental health side of the outbreak. He also offers a glimpse into the mental health fields collective response to the growing crisis and how ordinary individuals might cope effectively.

(Note: This interview has been edited for quality and clarity. This information is not intended to serve as medical advice or treatment for any person. Those seeking medical advice or treatment for any condition related to this outbreak should contact their medical providers.)

Q: Can you recall a situation in your career that remotely resembles this current one in terms of mental and psychological impact across such a wide population?

Dr. Goldman: The closest that I can think of off the top of my head is 9/11. I was a practicing psychologist in New York City during that tragic event.

Q: While the practical elements in this situation will obviously be very different from 9/11, are there similar themes you can carry across to this event, particularly its impact on professional and college sports organizations?

Dr. Goldman: There are a couple things I think are worth elaborating on. This is different than 9/11, for sure, for a lot of different reasons.

When were talking about the coronavirus and how people are managing it now, in a lot of ways you can look at the Kubler-Ross Stages of Grief. It applies in a lot of ways, because I think you can have strong emotions going in a lot of different directions. There can be fear, frustration, anger, depression. Across not just the pro level, but also at the collegiate level, there is a lot of change that was unexpected and unanticipated. And there are also a lot of unintentional consequences.

Think of a college player in the last year of college eligibility on a basketball team thats about to go to March Madness. Maybe this was the first time the team qualified. [This is] somebody who all of a sudden has had something taken away from them. Or a guy like Vince Carter who I dont know he might have just taken his last basketball shot.

Whats really interesting, being a sports psychologist, is dissecting whats the same and whats different [about athletes]. When youre thinking about working with athletes, sometimes its really important to remember theyre human beings like anyone else, they go through human experiences like anyone else. They laugh, they cry, they have partners, etc.

Q: How might self-quarantining and other forms of avoiding social contact compare to a player rehabilitating an injury away from his or her teammates? Might some of the same coping mechanisms be valuable to players now separated from their teammates and normal lives?

Dr. Goldman: Going back to whats the same and whats different about this special population, one element is they might actually have some familiarity with certain forms of isolation, like having an injury. When you think about the idea of adapting and being resilient, these are things that athletes are often conditioned for. Uncertainty and instability are common threads within a sports setting. So in some ways I think there is some conditioning that helps the players be robust.

But another element to it is not just the players, but starting to think about the coaches and staff. At the pro level, its not a nine-to-five job. Theyre on the road, long hours, long days, high levels of intensity. Now theyre being isolated at home, and for some people theyre having to re-calibrate to interactions on a more frequent basis with say, family, partners, husbands, wives. So it also becomes an interesting dynamic of interpersonal relationship.

Q: What kinds of outreach or programs might be realistic to keep teams connected and in good spirits during quarantine periods?

Dr. Goldman: One of the keys is communication. This is where technology becomes both a blessing and a curse we can use FaceTime apps, we can use technology like social media, and that can help us feel a sense of connectivity. The curse of that, though, is it can produce misinformation, or even a sense of feeling overtaxed or overwhelmed because its prevalent everywhere you go.

Even though the recommendation is social distancing to minimize the spread, its really important to feel connected to one another as best we can without being overly absorbed in the stress or the weight of it. Going back to, say, 9/11 as a reference, it was hard because it was something everyone was talking about, and it was on every channel. One of the things we recommended then is something Im recommending to the players and coaches and staff I work with: Its okay to turn the TV off from time to time and take a nice walk or a bike ride. Its alright not to be consumed about the virus 24/7.

Q: What kinds of techniques might assist players or other staffers with this balance and maintaining their mental health during this event?

Dr. Goldman: One thing I would recommend is, be mindful about misinformation. Unfortunately, were living in an era where its tough to trust the flow of information and certain sources. The CDC are constantly updating and providing recommendations for self-care, emotional and physical. So I think thats always a good place to go.

Another element is, you have to trust organizational leaders. These are incredibly intelligent people. Theres a lot of communication and decision-making as to what happens next. And again, this issue isnt static, its fluid. As things evolve, alterations will be made. Really what its about is knowing theres a plan, trusting that theres a plan.

Q: Both for athletes and the general population, what can you recommend to help deal with whats been termed as coronavirus anxiety?

Dr. Goldman: If you think about the construct of anxiety, anxiety is always about the future, not the present. Not whats happening now, what will happen. We dont worry about the test, we worry about the grade we get from the test.

The second rule [of anxiety] is its always about some kind of perceived catastrophe or horror, and the other element is ego threat. In this scenario, Id say its less about ego threat and more about perceived catastrophe.

One of the best ways to navigate around that is to be well-informed. Ask questions. Ask lots of questions. Ask questions of your medical providers; ask questions of the CDC; [athletes] ask questions from your team leaders. I think that helps minimize some of that anxiety.

Q: Some will understandably be concerned about the potential for cabin fever and related concerns during potentially long periods of social distancing. Can you provide any themes to assist individuals with this?

Dr. Goldman: [From what I understand], social distancing is not isolation (note: Dr. Goldman is correct here, and this Cleveland Clinic resource does a good job breaking down the differences between quarantine, isolation and social distancing). Not everybody is quarantined. Social distancing, by the definition being put out there, is six feet of distance and avoiding populated areas and events. Its not about isolation as much as it is about social distancing.

And again, the best weapon we have in our arsenal right now is all the stuff we already know to be true about good health: Wash your hands, avoid touching your face. Just the facts, I think, can help.

Q: Those who already undergo therapy may be worried about seeing their therapist in-person due to disease spread risks. Those experiencing new mental health issues related to the outbreak may have similar fears. What would you say to those in this position?

Dr. Goldman: Talking with peers, one of the questions is about licensure and ethical conduct. If youre licensed, say, in the state of Michigan, can you provide care for someone whose residence is in Wyoming? There has been what we call tele-health, whether that be through a video chat or a telephone call.

There are rules and regulations set up for tele-health therapy. [But recently], theyve begun to loosen some of these stringent rules. The community is responding in live time right now. Theyve made some concessions regarding some of the stipulations.

Something Im honored [to be part of] is a group called Big Sky, which is a group of licensed professionals in the pro space and the collegiate space. There are over 100 of us. Weve been dialogue-ing as a collective [during this incident], and discussing best practices.

Dr. Goldman was also kind enough to note that he recently sent his staff and employees of the team he works for a few resources, including basic anxiety coping measures. He strongly advises anyone dealing with anxiety or other mental health issues during this outbreak to seek similar resources.

Read more here:
The Mental Health Side Of An Epidemic: Conversation With A Leading Performance Psychologist - Forbes