Singapore’s national athletes experience high levels of poor mental health: Study

SINGAPORE: A recent study has found that Singapore’s national athletes experience high levels of poor mental health — comparable to both the general population and their Western counterparts.

A total of 356 athletes across various sports took part in the study, published in the Singapore Medical Journal on Tuesday (Aug 5). 

The findings challenge the belief that participation in sports builds resilience, said observers. 

According to the study, nearly 70 per cent of athletes reported elevated levels of athlete-specific psychological strain. 

Around 41 per cent experienced clinically significant depressive symptoms, while about 18 per cent reported moderate to severe anxiety.

In addition, 16 per cent of participants were suspected to have disordered eating — a range of irregular eating behaviours that could include a specific eating disorder. 

The study also noted that many athletes with significant symptoms say they had never required treatment, which suggests possible barriers to seeking or accessing support.

Female athletes in Singapore were also found to be more likely than their male counterparts to experience clinically significant depressive symptoms — a trend consistent with findings from Western studies.

However, one possible explanation cited is that male athletes may simply underreport their symptoms.

The study recommended integrating mental health screening into the pre-participation process to better identify athletes at risk.

Observers emphasised that raising awareness, providing education and implementing resilience programmes are crucial.

“Within the sport psychology team, we run workshops, we do individual consults,” said Dr Harry Lim, a senior sports psychologist from Sport Singapore. 

“So, for instance, (we are)