Pittsburgh Pirates Mental Wellness Initiative

Abstract A goal of most professional sport organizations is to minimize factors that contribute to negative psychological and emotional outcomes and maximize factors that support more positive outcomes. In order to address these concerns in professional sport, a mental wellness initiative was created for the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball club. This paper provides an overview of the initiative. The model includes the following dimensions: mental health education, skill building, identification of at-risk athletes, access to clinical professionals, crisis management procedures, and reducing stigma. Suggestions are provided for other organizations to consider and adopt.