Olympic Games: How mental health affects athletes' lives and performance – PUCRS

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The competition offers visibility for professionals to talk about their trajectories and challenges
Simone Biles was one of the leading athletes to raise the issue of mental health in sport. Photo: Loic Venance/AFP.
The discussion about the importance of mental health is growing exponentially, expanding to areas beyond psychology, such as sports. In recent years, athletes have begun to talk about the topic, sharing personal accounts of its impact on their lives. American artistic gymnast Simone Biles decided not to continue competing during the last Olympic Games in Tokyo.
She took a break from her career to take care of her mental health and returned for the World Championships in 2023, which guaranteed her place at the Olympic Games in Paris, a trajectory that resulted in a documentary series. Also in 2021, when Simone announced her hiatus, Japanese tennis player Naomi also spoke about mental health, specifically her years-long struggle with depression.
These examples are important to move the world of sports in relation to the psychology of athletes. High-performance athletes undergo various physical monitoring, and there is also an increasing number of professional psychological help, as a permanent part of the team, as well as physiotherapists, nutritionists and other health specialists.
It is still necessary to consider the personal contexts of the athletes: the skateboarder Rayssa Leal, 16 years old, generated repercussions when asking for permission for her mother to accompany her to the 2024 Olympic Village. She said that her mother gives her a sense of security and that she feels stronger with her company. This is a classic example of the impact on mental health caused by technical competition rules, since permission for the companion was denied.
“We see athletes facing difficulties in dealing with their emotions and being able to regulate them in order to better perform their tasks in the sport. There are also issues related to distance from family, because this affects the athlete’s own routine. These are the main psychological challenges, dealing with issues of homesickness, anxiety and pressure. In some situations, athletes have difficulty dealing with criticism that is not constructive and this can have repercussions on the way they regulate their emotions.”, explains Fernanda Faggiani, sports psychologist and professor at the School of Health and Life Sciences.
Two other important factors that are part of maintaining mental health are taking care of your sleep and diet. It is necessary to maintain a routine that includes rest and work, but that also includes leisure time and time with family and friends. Professionals also emphasize that it is necessary to have monitoring that considers all aspects of a person’s health, and in these cases, considering the peculiarities of an athlete who lives under pressure.
“Just like an athlete’s physical health, mental health is essential for them to be balanced and fit for their sporting performance. This will have a positive influence when the athlete is mentally healthy, enabling them to regulate their emotions and maintain a focus of attention on what is relevant in their practice, and which requires long periods of training and exclusive dedication, such as competing in the Olympic Games.”, reinforces the sports psychologist.
One of the things athletes need to take care of in their quest for an Olympic medal is to monitor their emotional and physical issues. This includes regulating sleep, eating habits, rest, proper routines and extensive monitoring by the health department, in addition to sessions with a psychologist.
The professor also emphasizes that depending on the sport, there are also many challenges related to investment and sponsorship. This can cause more concerns for athletes and their teams. This is especially true for Paralympic athletes, who have more difficulty in gaining recognition in the media, finding training locations and suitable equipment, and other obstacles.

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