Athletes struggling with mental health need our support

Stigma surrounding mental health discourse in athletics must be erradicated

MANYA BONDADA Mercury Staff

Simone Biles’s decision to withdraw from the Olympics emblemizes the need to be more empathetic toward athletes who are focusing on their well-being and promote open discussion of mental health in sports.

Simone Biles and her extraordinary achievements increasingly put her in the spotlight. The entire sports world constantly scrutinizes her every move, which has inevitably taken a toll on her mental health. As a result, to protect herself and her team’s success, Biles withdrew from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in what seemed to be one of the most controversial storylines from the Games. Many critics disapproved of her choice, voicing the opinion that Biles wasn’t being a team player and should not have competed if she was going to withdraw anyways.

Athletes, whether professional or not, carry an extremely important responsibility: they are symbols representing a specific group of people. With the pressure that comes from having to consistently train and perform well during competitions, athletes must constantly balance their physical and mental well-being. The heat that comes from personal athletic goals and critique from the media creates conflict between athletes’ mental health and their ability to safely compete in their sport.

The media coverage around Simone Biles and her decision to withdraw from the Olympics is significant for two reasons. First, her withdrawal promotes awareness regarding the mental health stigma that many professional athletes face. In a study conducted by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, most athletes named stigma as the factor that prevented them from speaking up about their mental health concerns. These athletes believed that poor mental health seemed like a sign of weakness and an excuse for not performing well. Second, Biles’s open conversation about mental health serves as great inspiration for college athletes by letting them know that it’s okay to reveal mental health issues to coaches, family and friends.

The stigma surrounding mental health doesn’t just affect professionals; it heavily influences college athletes as well. In fact, 33% of college athletes deal with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and burnout, but only around 10% of