Mental health and sport

The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day (October 10) was “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change,” focusing on listening to individual stories for positive action and support.

According to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Ed (DSM-5), a mental disorder is a syndrome characterised by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, affective regulation, or behaviour that shows a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders can affect both males and females, across all age groups, sport disciplines, and cultural backgrounds.

The mental health

environment in elite sport

An athlete’s psychological health is vital to their overall performance and quality of life. Athletes must be cognizant of the universality of mental disorders that can arise from sport engagement—especially at the elite level—which includes, but is not limited to, depression, anxiety, body image disturbances, and eating disorders.

Prominent athletes

speaking out

In recent years, an increasing number of elite athletes have broken the muteness surrounding athlete mental health, demonstrating that high-level physical conditioning does not make one immune to psychological struggles:

• ↓Tennis: Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Nick Kyrgios

• ↓Swimming: Michael Phelps (most decorated Olympian in history), Amanda Beard, Caeleb Dressel

• ↓Gymnastics: Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Katelyn Ohashi

• ↓Cricket: Nicole Bolton, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Glenn Maxwell, Deandra Dottin, Virat Kohli, Will Pucovski, Ben Stokes

• ↓Basketball: DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Love, Giannis Antetokounmpo

• ↓Football (Soccer): Richarlison, Jesse Lingard, Jordan Henderson, Tyrell Malacia

• ↓Mixed Martial Arts/Wrestling: Ronda Rousey

• ↓Snowboarding & Winter Sports: Chloe Kim, Gracie Gold (Figure Skating)

• ↓Track & Field/Olympic Sports: Noah Lyles, Akani Simbine

Key symptoms and

associated factors

• ↓Depression: A mood disorder whose symptoms include extreme feelings of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, constant tearfulness, reduced interest or pleasure from previously enjoyed activities (anhedonia), significant weight fluctuations, sleep disturbances (insomnia/hypersomnia), persistent fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, diminished concentration, irritability, and suicidal ideation.

• ↓Anxiety: May include extreme fear, which can be characterised by an emotional response to real or perceived stimuli, whilst anxiety itself represents the perceived likelihood of future danger.

• ↓Body shaming and eating disorders: Athletes are uniquely vulnerable to body shaming—humiliating remarks regarding physical appearance, size, or body composition. This pressure frequently triggers eating disorders (such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge-eating disorder), which cause persistent disruptions in food intake, severe physical health complications, and persistent psychological damage.

In addition, disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) frequently surface following severe physical injuries or career-ending events. Diagnostic and prognostic factors stem from a complex mix of temperamental, environmental, genetic, and physiological influences.

Overcoming stigma

Fear of stigmatisation often prevents athletes from seeking help due to guilt, shame, or fear of disapproval from family, coaches, teammates, and fans. To counteract this, sporting organisations must take an integrative, pre-emptive approach by collaborating with licensed sport psychologists and counsellors to develop protocols on:

1. Educating and sensitising technical staff: Training coaches and support staff to recognise early warning signs and understand how management style impacts athlete mental health.

2. Accessible and confidential care: Guaranteeing the availability of safe and confidential channels for athletes to access professional mental health treatment.

3. Elevating lived experiences: Establishing safe spaces for athletes to speak openly about their challenges without fear of bias or public backlash.

In accordance with the global campaign “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change,” prioritising athlete mental health requires moving beyond awareness towards concrete structural support, empathetic coaching, and early intervention.