When Tarik Kaidi was sectioned in 2013, he couldn't understand why; he had felt like he was on top of the world. For months, his mind had been racing with new ideas. He was constantly on the move, meeting friends, networking and making plans. He felt energetic, confident, sociable and unstoppable.
His music business was thriving, he was the father of a young daughter, and he was preparing to get married. To Kaidi, life had never looked brighter. But while he felt invincible, his family saw something else. What he saw as creative energy, they recognised as increasingly erratic behaviour and reached out to the mental health services.
When police officers stopped him shortly after he had received an immunisation shot ahead of his honeymoon to Mexico, the intervention came as a shock. Kaidi had been detained under the UK's Mental Health Act, allowing doctors to keep him in hospital against his will for assessment and treatment.
More than a decade later, standing on a spiral staircase in London's Earl's Court district, Kaidi cuts a distinctive figure in dark sunglasses, a matching blue tracksuit and a flat-brim baseball cap. He takes a long drag on a cigarette and shakes his head as he recalls being taken to St Charles Mental Health Centre in west London.
In the months leading up to his detention, he says he had been experiencing a manic episode, a period of elevated mood and high energy associated with bipolar disorder, a condition he would later be diagnosed with. Although he now accepts the diagnosis, he remains critical of the way he was detained and of some of his experiences in hospital.
In the weeks that followed, however, the euphoria that had sustained him for months gave way to a deep and painful depression; a common phase of bipolar disorder that can follow a manic episode. His wedding, which had been due to take place a week after the intervention, was called off, and his relationship with his partner ended.
After being discharged, Kaidi said he felt all his energy leave his body. That was until his friend, seeing him in distress, asked him to join a mental health football team and, for the first time in ten years, Kaidi laced up a pair of football boots. As he trudged across the synthetic astroturf pitches, he began to sweat out the frustration and grief that had been building up over the years.
What Kaidi experienced anecdotally is increasingly supported by scientific research. A recent UCLA study found that among people who exercised regularly, the number of poor mental health days was significantly lower. A 2023 review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that physical activity is one and a half times more effective than counselling or leading medications at reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.
In 2019, Kaidi founded Minds United. What started with seven players and a bag of footballs has since grown into a community organisation with more than 400 members, offering football sessions, social activities and support networks for people experiencing mental illness, disability and social exclusion. The club now fields multiple teams for players aged 18-70, attracts referrals from mental health services, homelessness charities and community organisations across west London.
Across Britain, organisations including Coping Through Football in east London, Kick Start FC in Wiltshire and Sport in Mind run football programmes for people living with mental illness, addiction and social isolation. The movement is increasingly international, too. After meeting members of the Italian national mental health team at a tournament in Italy in June 2024, Kaidi set about creating the UK's first national mental health football team.
At the club's west London community centre, volunteers, coaches, people experiencing homelessness and those living with mental health conditions from a wide range of backgrounds gather. The same sense of belonging extends onto the pitch. The pace of the rolling matches is fast, and the games are competitive, but the atmosphere is both inclusive and caring. If a player appears anxious or shows signs of distress, teammates instinctively give them space.
Mental health experts note that regular physical activity reduces stress, tension and mental fatigue while boosting energy, focus and motivation. The social connections and shared sense of purpose that activities such as football provide amplify those benefits further.
Source: www.aljazeera.com