Natalie Durand-Bush (English and French)
Professor of sport psychology, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences. Executive Director, Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS).
[email protected]
Professor Durand-Bush is available to discuss topics related to mental health and mental performance. She agreed to answer our questions:
In addition to the pressure to perform at the Olympics, athletes must also ensure that they do not contract COVID-19. Does this add another element to the “mental load” athletes are already carrying?
“The Omicron variant is certainly adding to the uncertainty that athletes, coaches, and staff are experiencing now. They are used to creating and living in a bubble since the onset of the pandemic but the level of contagion and the speed at which the virus has been spreading is causing some additional stress. Fortunately, our teams are well supported by mental performance and mental health practitioners as well as medical staff who are all aware of COVID-19 protocols.”
What were (and still are) the main impacts of the pandemic on the mental health of Olympic athletes? How can they be measured?
“Olympic and Paralympic athletes’ responses to the pandemic have varied. Some have coped really well, while others have struggled.
“Indicators giving insight into the impact of the pandemic on athletes’ mental health include, for example, the number of referrals received at the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport, which have significantly increased since January 2021. The CCMHS has received approximately one referral per day for several months now, which includes athletes competing at all levels.
“We have also been conducting research within our national teams and we have learned that various factors have influenced their mental health, such as isolation, loss of control, identity, and purpose in life, online communication fatigue, and the disadvantages caused by health restrictions.”
In July 2021, you helped launch the Mental Health Strategy for High Performance Sport in Canada. You are one of the main authors of this strategy. How will it benefit Canadian athletes in Beijing?
“Since the beginning of the pandemic and subsequent to the launch of the national strategy, we have been prioritizing mental performance and mental health in the sport context. For example, we have been developing and sharing a variety of resources and offering webinars on mental health literacy, self-care, and suicide education.
“We have a national mental health manager who is serving as liaison across the sport system to streamline communications and clarify pathways to mental health care. We probably have the most robust strategy in the world at the moment and stakeholders and athletes in sport are benefitting from this.”