Kweku’s Korner
By Kensa K. Gunter, PsyD
CMPC Clinical & Sport Psychologist Director, NBA Mind Health
Kensa K. Gunter, PsyD, CMPC
Mind Health is the NBA’s mental health, wellness, and performance program. The program’s vision is to humanize mental health and to position it as an essential element of life both on and off the court. When talking about mental health, we understand that we’re talking about people whose journeys may be different but who share the desire to live a good life & perform well. Subsequently, Mind Health extends support to all the player leagues (e.g., WNBA, NBA, NBA G League, etc.), and the program’s three guiding principles are to humanize mental health, elevate performance, and honor lived experience.
Mental health refers to a state of well-being in which a person feels capable of pursuing their goals, navigating the stressors of life, contributing to their community, and connecting with others (WHO, 2021). The state of our mental health is often reflected in our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and relationships, and disruptions in any of these areas can lead to distress or may be a sign of mental illness. Similar to physical health, mental health exists on a continuum that includes illness, wellness, and a range of experiences in between.
In recent years, there has been a significant shift in terms of how we think and talk about mental health within our society. Moving beyond a paradigm in which mental health is primarily discussed within the context of illness or distress, contemporary conversations have expanded to acknowledge the importance of prioritizing mental health and viewing it as a key component of one’s holistic wellness. There is also an increased recognition of the fact that context matters. So, when thinking about our mental health, we have to consider the impact of our biology, social networks, cultural factors, environment, and things that happen in the world around us as factors that can either facilitate or diminish our health, well-being, and performance.
Notably, athletes have been some of the most visible and vocal advocates in terms of amplifying the discussion about mental health. Their courage, vulnerability, and willingness to share their personal stories have forced us to think about people in their humanity first, not their occupation, and to recognize that encountering difficult moments in life is not a sign of weakness but a reality of the human experience.
Through the Mind Health program, we provide a range of services and are committed to promoting continued culture change as it relates to mental health. This includes expanding the ways we think, increasing mental health literacy efforts, providing access to resources, and creating healthy systems and environments. Within the program, we also emphasize the benefit of using mental skills such as visualization, breathing exercises, self-talk strategies, and journaling to improve one’s “mental game” and positively impact their health & performance.
In our ongoing efforts to promote wellness, we have created a web-based resource whereby anyone can visit our website and take a quick 4-question quiz to find out their preferred Mind Health (wellness) style – Join the NBA Mind Health Squad! The six styles are move, play, pause, connect, learn, and nourish, and in addition to discovering your style, while on the site, you can explore video content, learn specific wellness tips for all six styles, and identify everyday actions that you can do to boost your mental health. For more information and to join the Mind Health squad, visit: NBA Mind Health