The Real Gold Medal: Prioritizing Mental Health in Sport
Dr Jennifer Ellen Hamer
Athlete wellbeing and engagement | Player development | High Performance Manager | Sporting Organisations | Eating Disorder Advocacy | Former Elite Athlete
The Olympics and the Power of Vulnerability in Sport
With the Olympics showcasing some incredible performances across all sports, I'm particularly moved by the number of athletes openly discussing their challenges with mental health. This is a powerful moment in sports history. Mental health issues are common among professional, Olympic/Paralympic, and collegiate athletes, with prevalence rates equivalent to or even exceeding those of non-athletes (Golding et al., 2020; Gorczynski et al., 2017; Gouttebarge et al., 2019; Swartz et al., 2019). Elite athletes often exhibit higher mental health stigma than the general population and tend to withhold disclosure of mental conditions, highlighting the need for explicit mental health assessments in this population (Mountjoy et al., 2023).
Establishing and normalizing mental health surveillance as an integrated component of athletes’ overall routine health assessment can reduce stigma, improve mental health literacy and help-seeking, contribute to greater psychological safety, and generate preventative effects by identifying mental health concerns at an earlier stage when they are easier to resolve.
Simone Biles emphasized the importance of providing “an outlet for athletes to speak up about their mental health” (The Associated Press, 2021), underscoring the critical balance between mental health and physical performance. However, athletes often hesitate to discuss mental health issues due to the fear of stigmatization, which can lead to reduced playing time, status, or salary, and even losing their place on current or future teams (Bauman, 2016; Merz et al., 2020).
Reflecting on Simone Biles' journey, I am reminded of a profound truth...... The strongest person, the most successful person is not always the one who keeps pushing, keeps going.....
In 2020, Simone withdrew from the Olympics to prioritize her physical and mental health. She faced significant mental health challenges that impacted her ability to live a healthy, happy life, let alone perform on the elite stage. Despite the world's expectations, past and pending future achievements, and external pressures, she chose herself. This decision brought about some incredibly hurtful responses, criticizing her for not being resilient and strong (the expectations of every athlete).
In a world where being busy is glorified, sacrifice is seen as dedication, and achievement is often equated with superiority, it takes a brave, courageous, and rebellious character to turn their back on this messaging and choose to prioritize their well-being. Athletes, like everyone else, do not always want to be 'strong and resilient'; sometimes, they want to be 'gentle and soft,' which is a strength in itself.
The strongest, most successful person in the room is not always the one who keeps pushing and going. Sometimes, it is the person who recognizes when they need to press pause, slow down, and allow their body and mind to heal and process emotions to feel healthy in both mind and body.
Let's celebrate the strength it takes to choose oneself, to be vulnerable, and to prioritize mental health. This is the true mark of a champion.
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References
Bauman, N. J. The stigma of mental health in athletes: Are mental toughness and mental health seen as contradictory in elite sport? British Journal of Sports Medicine 2016; 50(3), 135-136.
Golding L, Gillingham RG, Perera NKP. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in high-performance athletes: a systematic review. Phys Sportsmed 2020;48:247–58.
Gorczynski PF, Coyle M, Gibson K. Depressive symptoms in high-performance athletes and non-athletes: a comparative meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 2017;51:1348–54.
Gouttebarge V, Castaldelli-Maia JM, Gorczynski P, et?al. Occurrence of mental health symptoms and disorders in current and former elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 2019;53:700–6.
Merz, Z. C., Perry, J. E., Brauer, A. H., Montgomery, T. L., Shulze, J., & Ross, M. J. (2020). The cost of mental illness: The public’s derogation of athletes with psychological distress. Stigma and Health 2020; 5(4), 442-450.
Mountjoy M, Junge A, Bindra A, Blauwet C, Budgett R, Currie A, Engebretsen L, Hainline B, McDuff D, Purcell R, Putukian M. Surveillance of athlete mental health symptoms and disorders: a supplement to the International Olympic Committee’s consensus statement on injury and illness surveillance. British journal of sports medicine. 2023; 1;57(21):1351-60.
Swartz L, Hunt X, Bantjes J, et?al. Mental health symptoms and disorders in Paralympic athletes: a narrative review. Br J Sports Med 2019;53:737–40. 7
This is incredible! Athletes need to prioritize their mental health.