Too often, the main reason for addressing athlete mental health is in the name of performance. While good mental health is absolutely critical for one’s best sports performance, the pursuit of optimal mental health in athletes should not solely be made for the sake of more medals, faster race times, higher jumps, heavier lifts, tighter turns, more trophies lifted and more records broken. This approach risks reducing the athlete from being a human being that deserves complete care, to a mere number or statistic.

Athletes are people first, not a commodity or a mere spectacle. While one aspect of sports and competition involves entertainment, athletes make a lot of sacrifices for their sport to accomplish things most people can’t. They represent our best selves and the person we want to be. They embody discipline, resilience, striving, and aspiration — and supporting them reflects what we value as a society. 

Mental and physical health are inseparable. If an athlete must pass annual physical examinations, there is no reason for these medical check-ups not to include questions about mental health. Sports psychiatry is a “medically necessary” part of the sports medicine team. 

An athlete with good mental well-being will perform better and have lower chances of injury, illness, and burnout. They can have longer, more fulfilling careers. They can have a longer time to contribute to society. 

Oftentimes, people look up to athletes. So a psychologically healthy athlete can be a role model for many things, including mental health advocacy and literacy. Athletes have a big part to play in raising awareness and helping shape the public discussion on mental health. Already, many exceptional athletes have spoken out about their own struggles, such as Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, and Naomi Osaka. Helping athletes thrive and come to a place where they can share their mental health journeys can inspire others to do the same.

For far too long, we have placed athletes on an impossibly high pedestal and often forget to see their humanity. A culture that promotes a “win at all costs” mentality is both unhealthy and unsustainable. This is reflected in the pressures we put on ourselves as well. This is why changing sport culture and prioritizing athlete mental well-being helps all of us, not just the athletes.