HPSNZ GM Athlete Performance Support, Fiona Mather, says the impact of environments, of relationships, of how people see themselves and how others see them can impact thoughts, emotions and mental wellbeing. And these play out in behaviours, beliefs and attitudes.
“The athletes’ individual performance can be helped or hindered by the nature of the surrounding environments.
“Layer onto that the expectations of a nation as athletes prepare to qualify for the greatest show on earth.”
Fiona says just like seeking shelter on a wet and windy day, relationships and external pressures and stressors can drive introspection. No one is immune to their environments. How an individual reacts and responds to challenge and pressure begins and ends in the brain.
“Traditionally sport, especially at the highest level, has been dominated by exceptional feats of physical endeavor. The Olympic motto “faster, higher, stronger” reflects that physicality has long held a deep affiliation with sporting success.
“The dominance of physicality in sporting environments has overshadowed the importance of being mentally strong, extending the stigma around mental health.”
Fiona and GM Wellbeing and Leadership, Emily Downes, have developed an extension of HPSNZ’s current Mental Health Strategy that focuses on three pillars to enhance understanding of mental health: awareness and education; evaluation; and response.
A critical component of wellbeing management is the circle of support athletes, coaches and staff surround themselves with. “This group supports an individual regardless of outcome and becomes a critical success factor in the lead in to pinnacle events,” says Fiona.
“There is extensive empirical evidence that supports the proposition athletes with good mental health stand a better chance of achieving sustainable performance.
“Accordingly, positive mental health should be seen as an essential component within daily training environments and within our sporting and national culture.”
The three foundation pillars are being considered within a system-wide approach to supporting positive mental health across all those in the high performance sector.
The critical component of the first pillar, awareness and education, is promoting and delivering mental health literacy. Activities include mental health education workshops, coach education through Core Knowledge, athlete inductions and wellbeing planning.
Secondly, regular monitoring and evaluation, as well as routine wellbeing, medical and psychology screenings for high performance pathway athletes are in place.
The third pillar, response, focusses on a referral system to medical, Instep (counselling) or clinical psychology support if issues are raised or detected. Other response activities include dedicated case management, involvement of support people, access to acute mental health services and helplines.
“We are providing athletes with a range of tools and initiatives to support good mental health, and increasingly sports organisations are driving wellbeing initiatives that foster growth, transparency and a sense of belonging for all people within their environments,” says Fiona.
HPSNZ is assisting NSOs to be open in discussing mental health of all people in their environments, providing the structures and resources to promote early identification and effective treatment of at risk or mentally unwell athletes, encouraging testimonials from athletes who have suffered mental health problems to normalise and promote openness.
“Cultivating help-seeking behaviours which include identifying and removing barriers and reducing stigma is critical,” says Fiona. “To that end we are delivering initiatives for athletes, coaches and other stakeholders to increase awareness about mental health, increasing capability to identify and respond appropriately so that athletes seek support earlier.”
“What drives us is the importance of seeing the whole person behind the performance, the journey ahead of the destination and recognising that the athletes’ aspiration is bigger than the medal. It’s about the pride of a nation, connection to whenua and whānau, and about feeling emotionally strong, safe and supported.”
This is captured perfectly in the Olympic Creed: “the important thing in life is not the triumph but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.”
