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The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics could be uniquely difficult athletes’ mental health unprecedented challenges but there are tools to help.
The conversation around mental health in sport is moving to Beijing, as the Winter Olympics takes centre stage. Last year in Tokyo, it was Olympic champion Simone Biles who led the way, stepping aside from competition to prioritise her well-being.
While estimates vary, approximately one-third of elite athletes experience symptoms of depression or anxiety. Concerns around body image, substance use, and trauma are also common.
COVID-19 makes for a uniquely difficult mental health challenge at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The pandemic has already created a host of challenges for athletes around the world. During the Winter Olympics, athletes will be constrained by incredibly strict rules and regulations, living within a bubble as China continues its zero-COVID strategy.
For any athlete within this closed system, difficulties with mental health could be accentuated. Opportunities for distraction and socialising are less possible, meaning pressures around performance can build.
Athletes will likely have fewer supports on the ground, and many will need to lean on virtual support from psychologists back home. There is also the ever-looming threat of a positive COVID-19 test leading up to competition, following years of careful preparation.
While every organisation has different needs and abilities, many of these recommendations can be considered feasible across most environments.
Athletes sharing their stories can also have transformative effects on discussion of mental health more broadly. It normalises all of our experiences of our own mental health.
So as you sit back to enjoy the Winter Olympics this year, continue to remember the person behind the performer on your screen. Athletes are more than just our entertainers.
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