To mark World Mental Health Day on Friday, the Gaelic Players Association is encouraging its membership to avail of a bespoke digital mental health hub, which is available to support inter-county players alongside its well-established phone and text counselling services.
Working collaboratively with Lena (By Inspire), the GPA has redesigned and tailored the hub to expand the current offering to best support members’ needs.
This milestone marks a new chapter in a long-standing and fulfilling relationship between the two organisations, reaffirming a shared commitment to innovative, accessible, and ongoing mental health solutions for GPA members.
Developed in collaboration with Ulster University, Lena’s award-winning Support Hub is a mobile-enabled, web-based platform offering 24/7 access to a comprehensive suite of wellbeing resources.
Designed with prevention and early intervention in mind, the Hub empowers users to explore mental health topics, complete guided self-assessments and self-help courses, set and monitor personal goals, track mood and sleep patterns, and self-refer into counselling services. Regular updates include expert articles, blog posts, monthly webinars, and a wellbeing-focused e-zine.
The Hub is particularly impactful for individuals seeking to maintain positive mental health, those in early stages of concern, and those in recovery or post-treatment maintenance.
The self-referral feature provides a discreet and convenient pathway to support, particularly for individuals who may feel hesitant to reach out directly.
“The mental well-being of our approximately 4,000 members is a key focus for all within the GPA,” said GPA Head of Development and Wellbeing Jennifer Rogers.
“We are delighted to work with Lena to offer this online service, which provides ease of access and navigation to inter-county players who wish to avail of the Hub.”
“With the addition of the Digital Support Hub to our existing phone and text counselling services, our members have a comprehensive suite of mental health services available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.”
“Digital mental health tools like the Support Hub are transforming how people access care – meeting them where they are, on their own terms,” added Kelly Gilliland, Assistant Director at Lena.
“We’re proud to continue our work with the GPA to deliver a solution that’s not only evidence-based but personalised to the needs of their members.”
This redesign of the Hub comes at a time when digital mental health interventions are gaining traction globally. According to NICE, digital therapies for anxiety and depression could save six thousand therapist hours per one thousand users*, freeing up resources and expanding access to care. Meanwhile, 75% of patients say they prefer non-drug options for mental health treatment**, highlighting the growing demand for scalable, tech-enabled solutions.
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