Written by Athletes are reported to be significantly more likely to report ‘high to very high’ psychological distress (at 17.15%) compared to that generally found elsewhere in the community (9.5%). The published findings indicate that despite exposure to intense stressors during the recognized peak age of mental ill-health, there is an absence of empirical data available and therefore an absence of adequate support for those in need.
Elite athletes are in the media limelight and scrutinized by fans, coaches, and sponsors on their sporting performance, but also on their appearance and behaviors outside of sport. This exerts enormous psychological pressure, which had been largely unrecognized until recently. Now there is a growing number of athletes that are speaking out about their mental health challenges and consequently removing the stigma that comes with it. A band of Australian elite athletes have challenged the view of mental illness as a ‘weakness’ and advocated for discussion and openness about its prevalence.
Mental illness in one form or another is present in as many as one in four people, yet it is seen as a character flaw:
“…an inability to ‘tough it out’ and ‘roll with the punches’, and no truer is this than in the world of sport. Mental illness exists and it exists for athletes too. For male athletes especially, we fit them into the traditional norm of what a ‘man’ should be. The kind of language we see used to describe them with words such as ‘hero’ and the over glamorization of athletes as ‘warriors’ plays a part in our obscured view.” – Pickstar 2021
Society in general has a perception of athlete as demi-god, rather than, sometimes very vulnerable, human.
The backlash over tennis star Naomi Osaka’s announcement that she will not subject her fragile psyche to media questioning during the French Open Tournament has been surprising. It has elicited support from some fans who empathize with her anxiety and the effect the interviews have on her. Twitter was awash this week with compassionate response to her explanatory tweet. Despite this, she has drawn some criticism from fellow tennis stars who see the move as ‘snubbing’ the media that promoted them in the first place as they rose to the top.
Everyone has their pressures; their burdens to bear, but the ongoing expectation to perform at peak level from a young age would be especially hard. A whole life based on a necessity to win would wear some down, and even those that appear to succeed are still essentially their own people with their own fears and fallibilities. Add to that the celebrity conditions inherent to the job which always requires the projection of a suitable image. Australian former Olympic Swimmer Liesel Jones recalled in her 2015 autobiography ‘Body Lengths’ the swimming trainers using secret code words to describe some girls as fat without them knowing. The phrase was ‘6:1:20’ – referring to the sixth, first and 20th letters of the alphabet: F-A-T.
“But the girls had already worked out what this meant and later they would cry in the showers…We were there to win Olympic gold medals,” – Liesel Jones
Sadly, her relationship with the sport became damaged. The teenaged prodigy had buried herself in her ruthless training regime not worrying about appearance. But even with this focus she still succumbed to depression and her anxiety found her when she was alone up on the starting blocks or under scrutiny at the swimming academy weigh-in. And Liesel, it was decided, did not match the athletic ideal, and with that she was convinced that she was unacceptable – fat. Jones was publicly ridiculed for her shape but stoically bore the brunt for the sake of the sport she loved … to her great credit, none of this pressure showed when she stood victorious.
“Mental health, much like physical health, is something that needs to be worked on regularly. I believe that you should take time out daily – in whatever form works for you – to ensure that you can be happy and healthy and in the long run feel valued, purposeful and live with a passion for life.” – Libby Tricket, Beyond Blue Ambassador and former Olympic Swimmer.
Now that Osaka has felt forced to withdraw from the French Open, fellow competitors, fans, and the sport itself have lost the addition of her considerable talent to the tournament – sad for all stakeholders.
It seems obvious that for the benefit of all involved, sporting clubs and organizations need to embed support for the emotional needs of the athletes in their culture. And we as spectators should allow them their humanity and remember that they are not deities. At the end of the day, we all want something from them and that should be purely based on their performance and their valuable contribution to sport. Let us hope that something positive comes from Osaka’s sacrifice, it’s our diversity as people that keeps life interesting and the world turning.
https://pickstar.pro/au/blog/australian-sports-on-mental-health
French Open 2021: Naomi Osaka press conference news, results, draw, Roland Garros