He said: “The research is clear that feeling part of a group, and the socialisation linked to sport has a positive impact on mental health. However, Mr O’Kane discussed the dichotomy of sports where it can both help and hinder mental health especially in relation to prevalent issues such as racism and homophobia. Sport in general and especially group sports has been shown to benefit mental health, particularly for men either as players or spectators. According to YouGov research conducted on behalf of Stonewall in 2017, 43 percent of LGBTQ+ people believe that public sporting events are not a welcoming space for them.
