MENTAL HEALTH

According to the World Health Organisation mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to contribute to his or her community. This implies that mental health is more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities.

MENTAL HEALTH AND SPORT

Sport is considered beneficial to health. Furthermore, sport involvement provides opportunities to explore abilities, develop social relationships and experience success. It satisfies the need for belonging and to experience joy.

However, sport can also lead to or increase mental health issues.  Paralympic athletes are likely to experience a range of sport-specific and disability-specific stressors that have the potential to compromise their personal well-being.

Sport specific stressors include the constant need to achieve, risk of injury, overtraining, burnout and anxiety. Elite athletes have added stressors of traveling, living in camps and spending prolonged periods of time away from family and support systems.

Disability related stressors are those related to being perceived as not equal, being excluded, experiencing barriers to participation affecting home and work life. Many individuals may experience mental health challenges due to the impact of social isolation and lack of ability to directly engage with their family and friends.

Mental health challenges may often be 'invisible' to others, and athletes may have difficultly talking about it due to concern for stigma or adverse impact on their standing in the sport. 

SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES INCLUDE:

Mental health issue can develop at any stage of life, including childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

Mental health symptoms may include distress, anxiety, angry outbursts, pervasive sadness/depression, poor coping skills, worrying too much, sleeping too much or to little, alcohol misuse, eating disorders, withdrawal from normal activities and lack of motivation to train or compete.

More severe symptoms and disorders are suicidal thoughts, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychotic disorders including bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders such as drug addiction. For further info around recognising mental health symptoms go here.

Just as in the general population, the impacts of mental health symptoms and disorders in athletes can be severe and debilitating.

For athletes, those impacts may include poor performance, increased injury risk, delayed recovery from injury and decreased quality of life. (6) However, with appropriate and timely support and intervention such impacts can be reduced.

Further information on mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes may be found in the IOC Mental Health Consensus Statement (2019).To read the full consensus statement, please follow THIS LINK.

TO BE MENTALLY FIT AT THE GAMES

Maintaining a positive state of mental health during the Paralympic Games can often be challenging because athletes committing whole-heartedly to their pursuit of excellence, and may be at increased risk of disappointment, and high life stress.
Participating at the Games is not only a rewarding and exciting experience, it is also one of high expectations, and performance pressure. Despite extensive preparation, mental health issues may emerge during the Games. The challenges can pertain to an increased sense of pressure and expectations, intense media scrutiny, increased social media engagement, heightened emotional volatility, strained relationships, conflicts within the team, unhealthy comparisons to others, and a decreased ability to sleep. The Games are like a magnifying glass for both positive and negative thoughts and emotions, and they are often experienced as an emotional rollercoaster.
Let’s talk about it!

Mind Zone at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Village

The Athlete365 Mind Zone x Powerade at the Paralympic village is a first-of-its-kind space designed to help athletes relax, recharge and mentally prepare for competition through conversations with trained staff and mindfulness activities.

The space was designed together with our worldwide partner Powerade.  Athletes will be able to engage in activities which consist of a virtual reality (VR) mindfulness experience, deep breathing exercises and gratitude writing using postcards.  
Mindfulness has been found to reduce anxiety while increasing concentration, resilience and competition readiness. There will be several mindfulness activities that athletes can try at the Athlete365 Mind Zone x Powerade.
Set in comfortable “disconnection” pods, the VR mindfulness experience will encourage athletes to be more present, guiding them through calming breathing exercises and visualisation practices, to help relax their mind. Deep breathing has been shown to decrease the levels of stress hormones in the body – so don’t be afraid to give it a go.
Athletes have the opportunity to practise gratitude writing, too. This is an example of positive psychology, which invites athletes to focus on the positive influences in their life. Pre-paid postcards will be available to write a personal message thanking those who have been there for the athletes on their path to the Games and send it directly to them in the post.
Located on the first floor of the Paralympic Village fitness centre, the mind zone will be a safe and welcoming space for athletes to tune in to their emotional needs, prepare their mind for their next training session or event, and check in with a staff member for further support.  It is open to athletes and entourage members who have access to the village throughout the Games. At set times during the day IPC Medical Committee staff will be available to talk to and to assist with referrals were needed.

 

THE MENTALLY FIT HELPLINE

There will be a helpline available to athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The IOC and the IPC understand the importance of having someone to talk to when you're in need of support. That's why we've set up the Mentally Fit Helpline, a dedicated, confidential mental health counselling services.
The helpline is a free and confidential mental health and well-being support service available to all athletes accredited for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Mentally Fit Helpline...

•    Is available to all Olympians and Paralympians accredited for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in 70 languages

•    Provides information and counselling on any issue that matters to you

•    Can be accessed worldwide by phone or WhatsApp

•    Puts you in touch with a team of dedicated professionals who are completely independent of your coaches, your team, and the IOC/IPC

•    Is completely confidential

•    Launches July 14th 2024, and remains available to you until July 14th 2028.

For more info have a look at their website: http://global.helpwhereyouare.com using the Password: Mentallyfit.

HOW TO CONTACT THE HELPLINE
1.    Visit the dedicated contact page  
2.    Choose your country and language 
3.    Call or WhatsApp the helpline using the numbers listed 
4.    The professional counsellor will ask for your accreditation number in order to check your eligibility to benefit from the Mentally Fit Helpline services. 
Note: When calling from France to your home country area code, please note that roaming charges may apply. After the Paris 2024 Games, the Helpline will remain available to you for 4 years. When calling from your home country to your local support line, connecting will be free, with no roaming charges applied. 

TYPE OF SUPPORT OFFERED
As an athlete accredited for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, you have access to professional, confidential assistance for both sports-related and personal concerns. They are there 24hrs a day for short-term counselling or immediate support.  
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, you should seek help from a professional, and remember that talking about it is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Professionals are ready to assist you with issues that matter to you. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

•    Managing pressure

•    Feeling burnt out/overwhelmed

•    Finding balance between sport and home life

•    Managing life and/or career change

•    Handling stress

•    Improving communication

•    Dealing with injury

•    Managing anxiety

•    Depression

•    Disordered eating

•    Bullying, harassment and abuse

•    Parenting

ALL CONVERSATIONS ARE CONFIDENTIAL
The confidentiality of the helpline means that any information you choose to share will be kept between you and your counsellors who are dedicated professionals acting independently from your coaches, your team, the IOC and the IPC. No identifying information will be shared with the IOC or the IPC, and all details of those who contact the helpline will be kept private. 
With availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you have a choice of the type of advice you receive – whether that’s short-term professional counselling or in-the-moment telephone or video support. 
The Mentally Fit Helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 70 languages. 
This helpline is in addition to the mental health support services customarily in place during Games-time (including the presence of onsite psychologists and psychiatrists in the Village Polyclinic).

CYBER ABUSE PROTECTION SERVICE

for athletes, entourage and technical officials at Paris 2024.
This service has been developed to help identify and mitigate online abuse targeting Paris 2024 Paralympic Games accredited athletes, entourage, and technical officials on public social media channels.
Accredited Games participants are able to sign up for this service following this link.
This is the first time that such a tool will be utilised to protect so many athletes competing in so many disciplines at the same time and should also help us to better understand the challenges athletes face related to online abuse.
Social media platforms covered include X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook and TikTok (in over 35 languages).
 

FURTHER MENTAL HEALTH INFO

Several athlete-friendly modules related to well-being, mental health, and COVID can be found on the IOC website:

• https://www.olympic.org/athlete365/well-being
• #MentallyFit - Athlete365 (olympics.com)
• Mentally fit toolkit

WHO INFO AROUND MENTAL HEALTH

The World Health Organisation has a wide range of guidance regards mental health and COVID-19:

• Mental health
• Mental wellbeing – resources for the public
• Mental health & COVID-19
• Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak
• Addressing social stigma
• Briefing note on addressing mental health and psychosocial aspects of COVID-19

ATHLETE STORIES

Para athletes have often dealt with mental health issues and some of their inspiring stories are below. Also listen to our weekly podcast for inspiration.

PHIL EAGLESHAM CONTINUES TO INSPIRE BATTLING MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLE

Ireland’s shooting Para sport athlete Phil Eaglesham, speaks on how his physical and mental health worsened after being contacted with Q Fever – a disease characterised by chronic muscle weakness, fatigue, joint pain and breathing problems that also affects various organs in the body - while serving in Afghanistan as a Royal Marines Commando.

Eaglesham lost a great deal of physical abilities and used a power chair; people treated him differently; and he once had to sit in his house for six months after his wife injured herself trying to transfer him. In turn, it caused him to feel like a burden on his family. Read on here

DARKNESS SHINES LIGHT ON HORRIE'S INNER STRENGTH

Australian two-time Paralympic rower Erik Horrie recalls one of the darkest moments of his life. He reveals how leading up to Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, his confidence hit rock bottom.
Despite being a three-time world champion at the time, with multiple world records and accolades under his belt, Horrie found himself calling Australian mental health hotline, Lifeline, just to find someone to talk to. Read on here

LIFE LESSONS LEAVE THEIR MARK ON YOUNG

When times get tough for Deja Young, she just looks at her wrist for a reminder of the events of the past and the key to her future. The double Paralympic and world champion has a tattoo there, with three simple words – ‘just keep going’.

“I don’t mind telling that I did have a suicide attempt before the Games,” she reflected. “At that point I was alone and thinking, why am I really doing this? Why am I here and what is my purpose? And I really had to find that." Read on here

MEICA HORSBURGH OPENS UP ABOUT DARK TIMES

Australia’s Meica Horsburgh grew up with albinism and the challenges that came along, especially in her teenage years, proved to be a dark time in her life. 

Horsburgh bravely opens up about a period of bullying that drove her too far and how goalball saved her life in episode five of 'A Winning Mindset: Lessons from the Paralympics,' the official podcast of the International Paralympic Committee, in partnership with Allianz. 

Before listening to this podcast episode, be aware that the contents discussed include bullying to the point of suicidal feelings.

Horsburgh, now 31, was one of five children and grew up with ocular albinism, which also impacts her vision. Two other siblings were also albino, but the difficulties came when she got older. Read on here

#ALLIANZFORLIFE

With the COVID-19 pandemic being a pressing concern, the IPC’s International Partner Allianz, has joined force for several initiatives and is trying to improve people’s lives in these times of test. To know more about this, click here.