St.

Thomas University

Mental health in sports

Blyashyn Campos, Ana

PET-2302-167

Professor Dr. Seok-Ho Song

4 May 2023
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Nowadays, mental health continues to be a problem that is not treated much in

most areas, but today I will talk about the one that receives the least attention: sports.

The main question to be able to develop this work is to know well what mental health

is. This is the state of balance that should exist between people and the socio-cultural

environment that surrounds them, includes emotional, psychological, and social well-

being and influences how a person thinks, feels, acts, and reacts to moments of stress

(Clinic). But how can it be that this is so deeply related to sports, is it given the

necessary importance, and should we really be so concerned about this aspect in sports?

Now yes, I will be solving these questions throughout the paper.

I will start by talking about the difference in importance given to a physical

injury and a mental injury when competing or playing a sport. There is a notable

inequality in the importance given to physical and mental injuries when competing or

playing a sport. Physical injuries are often treated more seriously than mental injuries.

The inequality in care and treatment is due in part to a lack of understanding and

awareness of mental disorders and their impact on athletes' health and performance. In

many cases, athletes may feel that they cannot speak openly about their mental health

for fear of being stigmatized or losing professional opportunities. As a result, mental

disorders may go undetected or undertreated, which can negatively affect athletes'

mental health and their ability to perform at their best. In addition, medical care and

health insurance often focus on physical injuries, which can make it difficult to access

medical care for mental health issues. Athletes may have difficulty finding appropriate

mental health providers or affording the mental health services needed to treat their

disorders. Another reason for the inequality in the importance placed on physical and

mental injuries is the sports culture that values endurance and mental toughness.

Athletes often feel pressure to "tough out" mental health problems and demonstrate
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consistent mental strength. This pressure can keep athletes from talking openly about

their mental health issues, which can prevent them from getting the help they need. In

summary, the inequality in the importance placed on physical and mental injuries when

competing or playing sports is a problem that requires immediate attention. It is

important that athletes have access to adequate medical care and attention to treat both

physical and mental injuries. In addition, it is critical to create a sports culture that

fosters awareness, understanding and acceptance of athletes' mental health, which will

allow them to feel more comfortable to seek the help they need and enable them to

perform at their best (UHS). On the other hand, apart from the objective facts we come

across the subjective ones, i.e., people's opinion regarding the importance of mental

health in sports. Unfortunately, people's negative opinion about the importance of

mental health in sports is common. Most people believe that mental health problems are

a sign of weakness and that athletes should be able to "tough out" mental health

problems in order to continue competing at the highest level. These views can have

negative consequences for athletes and for the sporting culture in general. It is important

to remember that mental health problems are real medical conditions that affect people's

daily lives, including athletes. It is not a sign of weakness or lack of mental strength.

Like physical injuries, mental disorders need to be treated with proper medical care to

help athletes recover and return to their best form. But this is usually not seen as such by

people who are less involved in sports or even those who are. When someone sees an

athlete putting their mental health ahead of competition, they label them as weak and

unprofessional. This only makes the athlete feel worse for wanting to focus on their

mental health and at the same time makes them continue with their physical activity in a

forced and unhappy way. The result of doing this forced activity is a bad performance in

a championship or even mental exhaustion that leads to retirement from the sport. This
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thinking and with it its consequence is a mistake. Not supporting an athlete in a bad

mental state is completely wrong. As I mentioned earlier it must be understood that

mental health problems are real and need to be treated with proper medical attention to

ensure that athletes can perform at the highest level (WHO).

Then, we find the experience of different athletes facing stress and pressure

situations due to the fact that they abandoned a competition or their sport because of

mental health problems. The most famous and recent case worldwide is the case of

Simone Biles. Simone Biles is an American gymnast considered one of the best

gymnasts in history. She has won 30 medals in world championships, making her the

gymnast with the most medals in the history of these events, and has been a gold

medalist in the Olympic Games on several occasions. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics,

Biles withdrew from the team competition after a failed initial vault in the first event.

She subsequently announced that she would withdraw from individual competitions to

focus on her mental health and emotional well-being. Biles' decision to withdraw from

the competition came as a shock to many, as she was expected to lead the U.S. team in

the quest for gold medals. Biles explained that she was dealing with "the pressure" and

"the burden of leading the team" and that she needed time to take care of her mental

health. She also revealed that she had been dealing with emotional issues after dealing

with sexual abuse perpetrated by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.

Biles' decision to prioritize her mental health and emotional well-being was supported

by many fellow athletes, coaches and fans, although she also received some criticism

and negative comments from people who did not fully understand the importance of

mental health in high-performance sports. It is true that there was a great deal of support

and understanding for Biles, especially from people who have also struggled with

mental health issues. Many people praised her bravery for speaking openly about her
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situation and making the decision to take care of her mental health. However, there was

also some criticism and negative comments from people who did not fully understand

the importance of mental health in high-performance sports. Some people accused her

of abandoning her team and not living up to expectations. There was also a debate about

whether athletes should be able to deal with the pressure and stress of competition,

regardless of their mental health. And all of this is why Simone commented on more

than one occasion that she felt as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders

(ABC). Apart from Simone, there are other athletes who lived similar experiences such

as Naomi Osaka or Michael Phelps.

In my opinion, the case of Biles is an example of courage and strength because

she had the courage to prioritize herself and focus on mental health. On the other hand, I

believe that Simone Biles' decision to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics because of

her mental health or that of other athletes to do the same in other competitions such as

Osaka or Phelps teaches us several important lessons. The first is that mental health is

just as important as physical health, athletes need to take care of their emotional health

in order to compete at the highest level as well as their physical health. Then it also

teaches us to talk openly about mental health. Biles' decision to speak openly about her

situation helps to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and promote awareness

and understanding of mental health issues. And last but not least it brings home the

value of putting wellness before success (NCAA). I honestly applaud the decision Biles

made at the time and the decisions of athletes who found themselves in a similar

situation. Also, successful athletes aside, I would like to relate my own experience as I

swim and have experienced similar things. For me last year was a roller coaster of

emotions practicing my sport. I started the year wanting to go to as many competitions

as possible and fight to win points and improve as much as possible, but unfortunately,
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it didn't work out as I expected. Due to things that happened to me and things that I

thought, it became more and more difficult for me to go to training, as well as to

compete to the maximum. I also remember that in every competition I would come out

of my trials crying because things were not going my way and I had a thousand other

things on my mind. I was very afraid of looking weak or thinking that maybe they were

excuses and I was not really fighting every competition. When some time passed and I

saw that keeping quiet did not solve anything I decided to talk to my coach and explain

how I felt, and it was the best decision I could make. From the beginning, he listened to

me and understood, as well as helped me. He made me understand that everything was

fine and that it was okay if from time to time you weren't well enough to train. He

calmed me down, and took away my fears. But not only him, when the rest of the

people in my close circle realized it, they also helped me and made me feel better. With

this experience, I want to explain how close I feel to athletes who go through things like

this and how unfair it seems to me that mental health is still undervalued today. Taking

time for yourself is a symbol of courage, not cowardice.

Finally, I will talk about the traumas and consequences of not taking care of

mental health and what we can do to stop this. Not taking care of mental health can have

serious consequences in people's lives. Lack of attention and care can lead to mental

health problems such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress

disorders, and addictions. The mental health problems that most affect athletes or are

generated due to excessive pressure and expectations are depression, anxiety, and eating

problems. Firstly, there is depression. Depression is a mood disorder that can negatively

affect people's daily lives. Symptoms can include sadness, loss of interest in daily

activities, fatigue, sleep problems, and changes in appetite. If left untreated, depression

can last for months or even years, and can affect a person's quality of life. Next, anxiety
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is also a common mental health problem and can manifest itself in the form of panic

attacks, excessive worrying, or phobias. It can negatively affect a person's quality of life

and make it difficult to perform daily activities. And finally, eating disorders are a

mental health problem that can have serious consequences for a person's physical and

mental health. These disorders can include anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder

(Journals). What can we do to raise the profile of mental health so that these

consequences do not occur? In order to give more importance to mental health in sports

and prevent mental problems, different measures can be taken, and I will explain them

below. First, it is necessary to raise awareness about the importance of mental health in

sports. It is essential to educate athletes, coaches, managers, and the general public

about the importance of mental health in sports. Open conversations about mental health

should be encouraged to break down the stigma and barriers associated with seeking

help. Then also provide access to mental health services. Athletes should have access to

mental health services, including mental health professionals and support programs.

Mental health services should be accessible, affordable, and culturally appropriate.

Third, establish mental health policies in sports organizations. Sports organizations

should establish policies and practices that support the mental health of athletes. This

can include training for coaches and staff in recognizing and managing mental health

issues. Mental health can also be included in training programs. Training programs

should include mental health as an important component to ensure that athletes are

physically and mentally prepared to compete. And finally, foster a healthy sporting

environment. Athletes should compete in a healthy environment that fosters wellness

and inclusion. Healthy relationships between athletes, coaches and staff should be

fostered (CNN).
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In conclusion, mental health remains a challenge when it comes to giving it the

same importance as physical injuries in athletes. For this importance to increase, we

need to do our part and empathize more with athletes and their decisions. Although it is

true that we have improved compared to years ago, there is still a long way to go. It is

necessary to understand that mental health has the same value as physical health.
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Works Cited

ABC. (s.f.). News. Obtenido de https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/we-

re-human-too-simone-biles- highlights-importance-mental-health-n1275224

Clinic, M. (s.f.). Mental illness. Obtenido de

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms- causes/syc-

20374968

CNN. (s.f.). Simone Biles post-olympics. Obtenido de

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/22/sport/simone-biles-gymnastics-spt/index.html

Journals. (s.f.). Sport medicine. Obtenido de

https://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/fulltext/2020/03000/mental_health_issues

_and_psychological_factors_in.8.aspx

NCAA. (s.f.). Mental health Issues. Obtenido de

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2022/5/24/media-center-mental-health-issues- remain-on-

minds-of-student-athletes.aspx

Organization, W. H. (s.f.). Mental Health. Obtenido de

https://blogs.worldbank.org/health/mental-health-lessons-learned-2020-2021- and-

forward

treatement, W. a. (s.f.). Athletes and mental illness. Obtenido de

https://whitesandstreatment.com/2022/07/15/7-athletes-that-have-struggled- with-

mental-health/

UHS. (https://uhs.umich.edu/tenthings). Things you can do for mental health.