The Gold Standard
Librarians and Doctors Help the International Olympic Committee Address Athletes ’ Mental Health Head-On .
By Natasha Veeser , Associate Director of Communications
When one of the greatest gymnasts in the world stepped back from competition in the middle of the 2021 ( née 2020 ) Tokyo Olympic Games , it sent shock waves around the globe . Simone Biles decided the delicate balancing act between her mental well-being and the push for gold was no longer equal . Protecting her mental health needed to win .
Tennis player and fellow Olympian Naomi Osaka made headlines earlier in 2021 after announcing she wouldn ’ t speak to the media during the French Open , also citing the need to safeguard her mental health .
Both athletes faced passionate supporters and harsh critics , and their actions pushed a sensitive conversation into the limelight : What are the mental health challenges facing elite athletes ?
In recent years , the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) has prioritized studying this complex issue , as the growing need to understand and attend to the mental health of elite athletes has become critical . The IOC began looking worldwide for the right people to help them .
Enter the University of Wisconsin – Madison ’ s doctors and librarians .
“ It ’ s no surprise elite athletes are susceptible to mental health symptoms , and in some cases , are disproportionately suffering ,” says
Doctor Claudia Reardon . Reardon is a psychiatrist with
Claudia L . Reardon , MD Professor , Department of Psychiatry University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health , Staff Psychiatrist , University Health Services
UW – Madison and co-chair of the IOC ’ s workgroup on Mental Health in Elite Athletes . “ Even though we ’ re increasingly seeing brave individuals speak out , the general public perception is that
10 | Fall 2021