Social media users praise soccer icon Lionel Messi for destigmatizing mental health treatment

Last week, multiple sports news outlets reported that professional soccer player Lionel Messi recently opened up about his experience seeking mental health treatment. Messi said that while he was initially reluctant to see a psychologist, “...it did me a lot of good, I really liked it, and it helped me.” One Instagram post about Messi’s experience received more than 330,000 engagements. In the comments, social media uses celebrated Messi for raising awareness about men’s mental health and destigmatizing mental health treatment.

Recommendation: Trending conversations about men’s mental health provide an opportunity to promote mental health resources in your community, including therapy, support groups, hotlines, and local mental health centers—particularly during Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. Pushing out additional messaging that outlines the signs of mental health disorders in men and the warning signs of suicide is also recommended.