STIGMATISATION OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND SEEKING SPORT PSYCHOLOGY SERVICES

Athletes, especially those competing at elite levels, must be mentally and physically tough, able to thrive in challenging and adverse circumstances through perseverance and passion to accomplish their goals. Anecdotal and empirical evidence indicates that athletes, including those who achieve great success in their sport, are not unlike the general population, being similarly vulnerable to mental health issues and disorders (Brown, 2014; Van Slingerland et al., 2019). Being mentally “tough” and experiencing mental health issues are not mutually exclusive. However, as part of the sport culture, the ethos of “toughness”, which emphasises “looking fit” and “winning at all costs”, may seem incongruous and impede help seeking (Martin et al., 2012). Those competing in sport, especially at the elite levels, often push their minds and bodies to extremes (Biggin et al., 2017). The “no pain, no gain” motto often used in these settings may lead to increased stigmatisation of help-seeking, which may also contribute to sport dropout. Athletes trying to be “toughminded” may suffer in stoic silence because they worry others will either take advantage of their perceived weakness or not understand their needs and challenges. Unfortunately, social media may perpetuate misconceptions of what it means to be toughminded and reinforce the stigma attached to mental health. This chapter provides information about athlete prevalence of mental disorders and offers recommendations for how clinicians and sport personnel can work together with members of the community to reduce the stigma of mental illness and help-seeking, and promote well-being and quality of life in sport (Purcell et al., 2022).