“I thought about killing myself, and it’s scary. » This sentence was the American swimming world champion Michael Phelps, the most successful athlete and the most medals in the history of the Olympic Games, who uttered it last November in the columns of the Spanish sports daily AS. He then added “talking about mental health saved my life. »
Talk about the psychological suffering of athletes has been growing for several years in the world of high-level sport. Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and in France Teddy Riner and Camille Lacourt recounted their slump, between depression and burn-out. A liberation of speech as necessary as it is progressive.
High-level sport, a risky terrain
Intensive training, pressure, pain, stress… Professional athletes face extreme psychological and physical states. “We idealize high-level sport but it is a world of work, sacrifices, self-sacrifice, demands and perpetual surpassing,” estimates Elise Anckaert, sports psychologist and clinical psychologist at Insep (National Institute sport, expertise and performance).
“High-level sport involves taking both physical and psychological risks,” continues the therapist. We must therefore put in place safeguards to preserve and regulate this risky area. » According to the psychologist, all athletes are affected by this precarious balance, from the one who wins the Olympic Games to the one who does not qualify.
Depression, burnout and eating disorders
Perrine Laffont, 25, Olympic mogul ski champion and five-time world champion, returned to her depression last October in the columns of 20 minutes : “The first symptom is disgust for your sport. The brain has equated sport with suffering and competition with stress. Then comes the loss of appetite, weight, desire… You have the impression that your life no longer has meaning and you end up saying to yourself “but really what is the point of continuing to live?” »
Among the psychological disorders suffered by athletes, “it is very often a question of anxiety and depression”, according to Jean Fournier, sports psychologist and lecturer. Certain pathologies are also linked to a specific practice. “There are many problems with eating disorders (TCA) in the sports evaluated, either because you have to be lean like in endurance sports, or because it is a sport with a weight category. weights like judo or boxing,” adds the psychologist.
A subject that has long remained taboo
Although more and more athletes are discussing their psychological suffering, the subject has long remained taboo. Michael Phelps actually waited until the end of his career to talk about his depression. “When we admit that we have mental health problems, we appear weak in the eyes of our adversaries,” considers Jean Fournier. “What can be assimilated to a limit or a fragility is for many not compatible with performance,” adds Elise Anckaert.
The other reason would be more political according to the lecturer. “No federation wants people to say that its athletes have mental health problems, especially since some psychological suffering comes from violence existing in the environment. »
Widespread awareness
In speaking publicly about his depression, Michael Phelps was one of the pioneers. “The first to testify were very, very high-level athletes who waited until they were in some way invincible before allowing themselves to talk about it,” analyzes the Insep psychologist.
Little by little, through a domino effect, tongues became looser. “Athletes seeing them as models of work, courage and perfection said to themselves that if they explained that it was necessary to work on oneself, then that must be the case,” summarizes the therapist. “This normalizes the fact that athletes are not supermen,” considers Stéphanie Meriaux, sports psychologist and lecturer.
Coach training
But another factor would explain this awareness: the training of coaches. “Mental health has been addressed in training for more than ten years,” explains Stéphanie Meriaux, who has future coaches among her students at the University of Côté d’Azur. Within the Staps license (sciences and techniques of physical and sporting activities), 20 hours of courses on the psychological approach to performance are given in the second year and 50 hours in the third year on TCA, doping and violence, with a psychosocial approach.
“If we know that it is a mental health problem, we will be able to identify it and above all we know that it can be taken care of and resolved,” says the lecturer.
Disparities according to sports and territories
In terms of monitoring and prevention, since 2006, athletes have been required to have one session per year with a psychologist. The minors must do two. No other legal obligation. “Institutions make choices within their staff, according to Stéphanie Mériaux. Some prioritize physical trainers and the medical team and others decide to invest in the field of mental health. It’s very context dependent. »
The psychologist regrets that there is no global policy on this subject. “In Canada, sports psychology has a place within structures and has been integrated into the long-term project. In France, it remains ”a plus” which is not always admitted and endorsed by the older generation. » There would also be great disparities depending on the geographical territory, the federation and the culture of the sport concerned. “In combat sports, for example, it’s much less accepted,” says Elise Anckaert.
Workshops within Insep
Within Insep, five psychologists, only one of whom is full-time, are responsible for supporting athletes. The institution organizes prevention workshops for athletes based on their age, their sport and their specific needs.
“We explain to them how health and mental preparation go hand in hand and we democratize the fact that asking for help is normal,” explains the Insep psychologist. Collective meetings therefore, but also individual. “We can do sessions at the request of the athlete but also of someone close to them, whether parents, teachers, coaches,” adds Elise Anckaert.
An interest for athletes
If athletes experiencing depression or burnout are not monitored in time, there is a risk that the disorder will worsen. Jérémy Flores, world surfing champion, explained in November to 20 minutes : “I said to myself “I’m a warrior anyway, all my life I’ve been fighting, it’s just a bad phase and it’s going to be okay”. Except that weeks turned into months and months into years. »
Mental health is not just about psychological disorders. “It is often seen from the problem aspect but there is also the solution aspect,” insists Elise Anckaert. Knowing yourself better, knowing your personality and your own expectations, understanding your emotions and learning to regulate them allows you to optimize your performance. » A way to perhaps convince some.