Psychological Literacy in Elite Sports: The Psychological Journey to Peak Performance
- iocpdernegi
- Jul 29, 2024
- 5 min read
Elite sports refer to athletes who aim to perform at the highest level and often compete in national or international competitions. These athletes exhibit the highest level of skill and talent in a particular sport, typically pursuing professional careers and frequently representing their countries in international competitions. At the core of elite sports are top-tier physical and mental preparation, training, competition, and performance. In this domain, especially at a time when athletes reach high levels of professionalism, the duration of training, competition, preparation, and education has significantly increased; working more than 40 hours a week has become common.
However, there is often an overlooked factor beneath this physical display: psychological health. Due to this intense work process, athletes face conditions associated with treating sports as a job, such as working conditions, social relationships, and management approaches. Additionally, factors like competitive pressure, media and public scrutiny, injury and rehabilitation stress can impact athletes' psychological well-being.
The challenging nature of elite competition, the weight of expectations, and the pressure to perform at the highest level necessitate an understanding of psychological health. Strengthening coping skills, focusing on goals, and building resilience against negative emotional responses can help athletes sustain long-term success. In this article, we explore the concept of psychological health literacy in elite sports, present striking examples to discover its importance, and highlight its critical role in shaping athletes' success and well-being.
A healthy mind and well-being are defined as “an individual's awareness of their abilities, the ability to cope with daily stressors in life, working productively and effectively, and contributing to society” (WHO, 2022). Psychological health literacy includes the knowledge, beliefs, and skills that help in recognizing, managing, and preventing psychological health problems. In elite sports, psychological health literacy is a valuable tool encompassing various areas such as stress management, performance anxiety, depression prevention, and overall psychological well-being. Below, we provide different examples to aid understanding of these topics:
Stress Management
Consider a professional golfer preparing for a major championship. The pressure to deliver a perfect performance can be intense. Psychological health literacy provides stress coping mechanisms such as mindfulness, breathing exercises, and visualization techniques. These tools help the athlete maintain a calm focus in a high-stakes competitive environment.
Performance Anxiety: An Olympic diver faces the challenge of executing a flawless routine. The fear of failure can be paralyzing. Psychological health literacy includes strategies for coaches and sports psychologists to alleviate performance anxiety through systematic desensitization and positive reinforcement.
Depression and Burnout Prevention: A marathon runner experiences low mood and motivation after a series of disappointing races. Psychological health literacy promotes early identification of warning signs and includes interventions such as counseling, peer support groups, and specialized training programs. These measures help prevent burnout and enhance psychological resilience.
Team Dynamics and Communication: In team sports like football, harmonious team dynamics are crucial. Psychological health literacy emphasizes effective communication strategies, conflict resolution workshops, and team-building exercises. These tools enable athletes to function more effectively as a cohesive unit.
Transition to Post-Retirement
The transition from active competition to retirement can be filled with emotional challenges. Psychological health literacy helps athletes plan for this period by providing resources such as career counseling, mentorship programs, and psychological support, thereby alleviating the psychological impacts of leaving professional sports.
Real-Life Examples; Simone Biles, During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from some events citing concerns for her mental health. Her decision sparked a global discussion about the importance of feeling psychologically healthy and prioritizing mental well-being over the relentless pressures and brutal competition that athletes face (Tardelli & Parmigiano, 2021). Kevin Love, NBA player Kevin Love has been an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness in professional sports. By openly sharing his struggles and supporting initiatives aimed at reducing the stigma around seeking help for mental health issues, Love has contributed to breaking down stigmatic perceptions within the sports community (Lavelle, 2021).
Impact of Psychological Health Literacy on Performance
Research indicates that athletes with high psychological health literacy can enhance their focus and concentration during critical moments, improve decision-making processes, and apply their skills more effectively. Providing athletes with tools to recover from defeats helps them build resilience and avoid long-term negative psychological health conditions. Teams that prioritize psychological health literacy often exhibit better communication, reduced internal conflicts, and a stronger sense of unity.
Challenges and Solutions
As awareness increases, stigmas surrounding mental health issues in sports persist. The biggest barrier to help-seeking behavior is believed to be these stigmas. Encouraging open dialogue, normalizing help-seeking actions, and integrating mental health education into training programs can help in the struggle.
Some athletes experience a lack of access to mental health resources due to financial constraints or inadequate support. Sports organizations and governing bodies should prioritize mental health support to ensure accessibility for athletes at all levels.
Integrating mental health literacy into existing training programs may face resistance or skepticism. In their research, Henriksen and Stambulova (2023) suggest coaches and talent development managers focus beyond training sessions. This includes creating a supportive environment that aligns training with academic success and promotes effective communication. They also emphasize the importance of a long-term developmental focus in organizational culture. Sports psychology consultants are encouraged to interact with athletes in their natural environments to optimize individual psychological skills and the overall environment.
Psychological Health Literacy as an Indispensable Ally in Elite Sports
In the pursuit of excellence in elite sports, psychological health literacy emerges as an indispensable ally. The stories of athletes like Simone Biles and Kevin Love powerfully demonstrate that a journey filled with success on the field is intrinsically linked to psychological well-being. As we continue to unravel the complexities of the human mind in the context of sports, integrating psychological health literacy into elite sports culture is not only a necessity but also a transformative force capable of reshaping the landscape of sports. Such steps can pave the way for a world of sports where healthy, more resilient athletes not only achieve peak performance but also enjoy the journey.
Contributions of ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence to Academic Use
In this blog post, we utilized the assistance of ChatGPT's open artificial intelligence platform. Initially, we asked, "Define psychological health in elite sports considering psychological health literacy." Subsequently, we inquired about real-life experiences discussed in our recent article on the impact of psychosocial risks on athletes' well-being and sports careers. Finally, we adapted the article generated by ChatGPT into a blog post, incorporating our academic research and references. After the webinar, we merged our blog post with the seminar outcomes.
ChatGPT provided us with foundational content for researching the sports field. It analyzed the topic and outlined the main points. We completed our research based on the core text it provided.
By using AI tools like ChatGPT, we were able to streamline our research process, ensuring that we focused on essential areas and effectively synthesized information to create a comprehensive and informative blog post. This collaboration highlights the potential of AI in enhancing academic and professional work, particularly in the dynamic and complex field of sports psychology.
The visual used for this blog post was created by Canva AI using DALL-E with the input "sportive man and woman with mental issues."
References:
Tardelli, V. S., Parmigiano, T. R., Castaldelli-Maia, J. M., & Fidalgo, T. M. (2021). Pressure is not a privilege: what we can learn from Simone Biles. Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 43, 460-461.
Henriksen, K., & Stambulova, N. (2023). The social environment of talent development in youth sport. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 5, 1127151.
Lavelle, K. L. (2021). The face of mental health: Kevin Love and hegemonic masculinity in the NBA. Communication & Sport, 9(6), 954-971.
Melisa Seray İşcan. Sporda Psikososyal Güvenlik Nedir? spordapsikososyal.org, blog yazısı.
World Health Organization, (2022, June 17). Mental Health,
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Jan 22 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
OpenAI. (2024). DALL-E (Jan 22 version) [Gerenrative AI]
Comments