Dr. Jeff J. Rocker Celebrity Therapist of Rocker Management Inc.
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As a result of the Great Resignation and worldwide talent shortages, the issue of mental health in the workplace—and what organizations are doing to improve their employees’ emotional well-being—is receiving a lot of media attention. The thinking goes that if employees’ mental health was better supported by company leadership, then perhaps the current labor shortages would be at least somewhat mitigated. Data support this assertion: A 2021 study showed that 84% of employees experienced a deleterious impact on their mental health due to some factor at work, with half of employees actually leaving their jobs in order to preserve their mental health.
As a result, there has been an increased focus on mental health across all industries, with companies racing to enroll in programs that offer employees coaching, therapy and access to behavioral health providers. However, there remain some gaps in these efforts, which are embodied starkly in one particular industry: the world of professional sports. The experiences of Black athletes—Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and DeMar DeRozan, to name a few—can illuminate the ramifications of these gaps.
Analyzing these athletes’ experiences reveals a few key lessons for corporations.
An Unforgiving Industry
Professional sports, as a whole, have been particularly slow to create an open space for revealing any struggle with mental health. While other illnesses and injuries—broken bones, torn ACLs and COVID-19—are taken seriously as legitimate reasons to take a pause from training or competing, mental health does not receive the same consideration.
Take Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from competition at the 2020 summer Olympics, citing a need to focus on her mental health. Biles was subsequently lambasted by certain media personalities who alleged that she was “weak,” a “failure,” and a poor role model based on a decision to prioritize her emotional wellness over athletic competition (and not compete in a poor headspace, which could have led to serious physical injuries as well). But her clear-headedness about her situation, ability to put aside baseless criticisms, and unwavering support for her teammates showed incredible courage and inner strength.
Another example: Naomi Osaka, who was fined $15,000 by the French Open after declining to speak to the press due to its deleterious impact on her mental well-being. It is hard to imagine an athlete withdrawing due to, say, a hamstring injury or flu receiving the same backlash.
Data from the American College of Sports Medicine indicate that some 35% of elite athletes suffer from eating disorders, burnout, depression and/or anxiety. However, to voice these issues publicly as an athlete is to court significant opprobrium.
Disparities In Acknowledgement And Access
The problems athletes face are exacerbated for minorities—Black patients in particular—who have been long underserved by the mental health establishment. In addition to the traumatizing effects of experienced racism and discrimination, Black people are subject to mental healthcare inequity; as a population, they have comparable levels of depression and anxiety to other groups, but only one third of those who need mental health treatment are able to receive it.
The reason for this discrepancy isn’t solely based on socio-economic factors, though lingering barriers to access do persist. Another problem is lasting stigmas in the Black community against revealing and treating mental illness. For Black sufferers of mental illness, the difficulty in acknowledging a need for help is high; for Black athletes, there may be added layers of obstacles.
Important Lessons For The Workforce
There are several takeaways that corporations can glean from athletes’ struggles with mental health.
1. Create safe spaces for vulnerability.
When we create an opportunity for our employees to be open with us about their struggles, the results are likely to be a lot more positive. Take the case of basketball player DeMar DeRozan: When DeRozan was able to open up to his team and managers about his struggles with mental health, the NBA responded by bringing the issue of mental health to the forefront. Now, DeRozan is playing better than ever, bringing the Chicago Bulls to the postseason for the first time since 2017.
2. Improve diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI).
When employees are dealing with discrimination or microaggressions at work, or struggling to advance in a system that seems stacked against them, this obviously results in significant stress, anxiety and depression. In professional sports, we see particularly harsh and trauma-inducing criticisms of Black athletes and unfair standards for these athletes, compounding existing struggles they may face. Making a serious commitment to DEI initiatives can mitigate some of the mental health issues faced in the workplace.
3. Offer robust mental healthcare programs.
Employees deeply appreciate mental health support, with 67% of those surveyed saying these services are beneficial. The NBA, in particular, has taken note of this, taking the lead in professional sports by offering their players mental health services. Going forward, expect these offerings (coaching, EAPs, access to virtual care) to become table stakes for organizations that want to retain top talent. Offering access to mental health providers shows a high level of care for employees and shows great ROI (as DeRozan’s example shows.)
4. Support employees who acknowledge problems.
At this point, there’s no situation in which it’s acceptable for an employer not to support employees receiving appropriate mental healthcare. But an even more comprehensive step is to support individuals opening up about their mental health. When Simone Biles had to withdraw from competition, sponsors that made the point to stand with her, such as athleisure-brand Athleta, came out looking good (while her detractors did not), burnishing their image as a great company to work for.
Mental health support is an area in which the pro sports industry still has a lot of room to improve. It’s easy to forget that professional athletes are employees—whether of a team franchise, a governing body, or a represented brand—with Black athletes, in particular, embodying many of the most glaring disparities in the way the workforce addresses mental health. Forward-thinking companies would do well to look at what pro sports are doing well for their athletes, as well as what they aren’t, and adjust accordingly.
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