Professional Darts Corporation must protect the mental health of their players, says leading psychologist

More must be done to protect the mental health of leading darts players as they come under massive scrutiny on the world stage, the British Psychological Society has said. 

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) need to protect the psychological wellbeing of their players or risk many of their leading stars burning out, according to a leading psychologist. 

Chartered psychologist and former England darts captain Dr Linda Duffy's warning comes after world number one Luke Humphries revealed the increased psychological pressure of the darts calendar and its impact on his mental health. The former world champion then faced criticism on social media for opening up. 

Defending Humphries, Dr Duffy, a Chartered member of the British Psychological Society said: 

"It is disheartening to see the online abuse that Luke Humphries has faced since being open and honest about his mental health in recent days. 

"Darts is now more popular than ever before and there has never been greater scrutiny placed upon the top players of the sport. Travelling all around the world, with increased time away from family, playing in front of millions of people, most days of the week, can place a great psychological toll on one person to deal with. It is a different proposition to a team sport where, although there is still pressure, responsibility can to some extent be shared between teammates. On a darts stage, you are on your own, there is nowhere to hide."

Speaking about the pressure that 18-year-old world champion Luke Littler could face this year and beyond, Middlesex University's Duffy said: 

"Luke Littler has been incredible for darts and his achievements have unlocked unprecedented amounts of exposure and investment for the sport. But although he is dealing brilliantly with the pressure at the moment, it is natural that at some point in the future his performances may not reach the same heights. When that happens, and under the full glare of the media and social media spotlight, what support will be in place? The Professional Darts Players Association's collaboration with Sporting Chance is a step in the right direction and it is vital players are encouraged to take advantage of this."

Former world number one Dr Duffy concluded: 

"With record prize money and more watching darts than ever before, the PDC and the PDPA must do all they can to look after their players who are performing at the highest-level week in week out. If they don't, there is a risk that even more players suffer burnout as the sport embarks on its ambitious new era." 

Photo credit - Michael Cooper / PDC