What the Olympics Taught Us About Mental Health

For those of us who enjoy watching our fellow humans engage in seemingly unfathomable feats, these past two weeks of the Olympics have been thrilling. However, aside from their unique skills, many of the medal winners have a lot to say about mental health.

First and foremost, the GOAT, Simone Biles. Her gymnastic skills are superhuman. After withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics due to a case of the “twisties,” she said she was shaking before the Olympic team gymnastics final — and that she withdrew after realizing that "the mental's not there." This was a courageous and difficult decision for someone who always expects to win gold. She told reporters, “I had to deal with some things.” One of the things she had to cope with was being a victim of the U.S. Olympics gymnastics team doctor, Larry Nasser, who was later accused and sentenced for child pornography and sexual abuse of children. In a sport where perfection is expected, and eating disorders are prominent, Biles’s teammate Suni Lee said, “We are all so focused on our mental health right now because that's the sport of gymnastics.” And Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, has been open about his struggles with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and suicidal ideation. He said that he used to see vulnerability as a weakness but has since learned it can lead to change.

In October 2023, in honor of World Mental Health Day, some Olympians were interviewed about their experiences with mental health struggles. Noah Lyles, who just won gold in the 100 meters and is now hailed as the world’s fastest man, told reporters, "I've been in therapy since I was probably nine years old, so this is not foreign to me. It's very normal. It's natural; mental health isn't its entity; it's everyday life. We're just talking about everyday things, and it just so happens that you feel uncomfortable because you feel vulnerable. The feeling of being vulnerable stops you from wanting to talk about it. But it's still the same everyday things you go through all the time, and it's like, let's start simple.'"

Elite athletes talking openly about mental health struggles serve as a positive example for those who may still feel as though it has a stigma. Hearing that Olympic heroes have the same struggles as us mere mortals has helped to normalize the fact that we are all human and vulnerable.

In 2018, The International Olympic Committee gathered a meeting of experts to review the scientific literature addressing mental health symptoms in elite athletes. The purpose was to identify the best practices for interventions to improve their mental health. They concluded that the management of mental health symptoms in elite athletes should be comprehensive and integrative. They included a unique self-report screening tool called the Baron Depression Screener for Athletes. It consists of 10 items, and the respondent scores 0 (never) to 2 (most of the time over two weeks) for each item. If the athlete scores higher than 5, they should be evaluated by a mental health professional.

After recognizing the scope of the problem, the IOC began expanding mental health services. It developed Athlete365, a platform that supports athletes on and off the field with advice and strategies and mainly focuses on well-being. One of the services offered is an online course called “Sleep to Compete,” which emphasizes the importance of good sleep for peak athletic performance and provides participants with techniques to improve their sleep routine. Athletes participating in the Tokyo and Beijing games could access a Mentally Fit Helpline developed to provide them with confidential and professional mental health support services before, during, and for a time after the games had ended.

In 2023, the IOC developed a new Mental Health Action Plan designed to take a broader approach to supporting and protecting athletes’ psychological health. The plan emphasizes the importance of mental health as well as physical health. Researchers contributing to the development of this plan cited a 2019 study that found 34% of elite athletes and 26% of former athletes reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. Some of the athletes have their own therapists to help them with mental health issues. However, during the Paris games, Kevin Smith, the former NBA head psychologist, and his team were available 24/7 to assess athletes’ mental health. Athletes could schedule an appointment with a psychologist or flag one down in the Olympic Village or the arena while competing. Psychological support staff was available to Team USA without judgment, aiming to reduce stigma. Smith told a reporter, “In an Olympic environment where nerves, anxiety, second thoughts, and imposter syndrome arise, it’s good to have somebody to reinforce the confidence that they once had but might have faded for a moment, where they just needed to be reminded, to hear those special words at the right time to trigger everything that they’ve already worked and done.”

So, thank you to all of the Olympians. Many of you have been in training almost as early as you could walk. You have sacrificed a great deal not only in terms of your time and physical endurance but also, for some, your mental health. Hopefully, with more of you speaking out about how the pressures of athletic training and expectations led to psychological symptoms, more of us “mortals” will shed the stigma of seeking help. Instead of a negative mark on the need to be perfect, you have promoted good mental health in the same vein as eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep.

Congratulations to all the medalists and those who worked hard enough to qualify. You are all heroes.