Sport performance failure & anxiety: The hidden mental health toll on athletes

Elite athletes dedicate their lives to excelling in their chosen sport and their competitive drive is critical to their success. However, when the crucial moment arrives, some athletes struggle to perform well under pressure. 

Victoria University (VU)'s Dr Christopher Mesagno has conducted a pioneering study that investigates the mental-health challenges faced by athletes who experience performance anxiety. The study reveals how often this occurs and measures the psychological and behavioural impact elite athletes experience following an incident.  

One hundred and sixty-five current and retired athletes from various sports and competitive levels participated in the study. The athletes were asked to detail the frequency and the psychological impacts of under performing, including negative feelings toward sport, decreased enjoyment, and suicidal ideation. The study also sought information on the subsequent behavioural impacts, such as avoiding training, dropping out or quitting the sport entirely, as well as instances of poor coping behaviours, such as binge alcohol drinking or illicit drug-taking. 

The results revealed that 77% of athletes reported experiencing performance anxiety in the past year, with an average of 18.25 incidents during that period. Among the 65 athletes currently playing, 55.4% experienced incidents in the past month. 

Concerningly 39.4% of athletes believed performance anxiety prevented them from reaching higher competition levels, and 7.1% had suicidal thoughts. High-performance athletes also reported being more likely to engage in poor coping behaviours after choking compared to their low-performance counterparts. Performance anxiety was also shown to significantly impact passion and enjoyment of sport, particularly among high-performance athletes. 

“This study quantifies the frequency of performance anxiety in athletes, but, more importantly, it provides crucial evidence of the psychological and behavioural consequences,” said Dr Mesagno. “The impacts are felt by athletes well beyond the game and further research is needed to support the mental health of elite athletes who experience these incidents.” 

Dr Mesagno is available for interviews to discuss these findings and their implications for athletes' mental health.