Beneath the surface: mental health, and harassment and abuse of athletes participating in the FINA (Aquatics) World Championships, 2019

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the mental health and experience of sport-related harassment and abuse of athletes participating in the FINA World Championships 2019, and to analyse it in relation to gender and the aquatic disciplines. Design Cross-sectional study using an anonymous questionnaire. Methods During the Championships, registered athletes (swimmers, divers, high divers, water polo players, artistic swimmers, open-water swimmers) completed a survey including the main outcome measures of depression (CES-D-10), eating disorders (BEDA-Q), the subjective need for psychotherapeutic support, and the experience of harassment and/or abuse in their sports environment. Results A quarter of the athletes (n=62, 24.6%) were classified as depressed and more than a third (n=111, 35.0%) as having an eating disorder. More than 40% of the athletes stated that they wanted or needed psychotherapeutic support for mental health problems. Fifty-one athletes (14.9%) had experienced harassment/abuse in sport themselves, and 31 (9%) had witnessed it in another athlete. The experiences of harassment and abuse ranged from unwanted comments about body or appearance (40.2%) to rewards in sport for sexual favours (2.5%) and rape (0.3%). Athletes who had experienced harassment/abuse in sport themselves had higher average scores for depression and eating disorders, and more of them needed psychotherapeutic support. Up to a third would not talk to anybody if they saw or experienced harassment/abuse, and less than 20% would talk to an official for help. Conclusion Targeted initiatives are required to address the burden of mental health issues and harassment and abuse in sport in the FINA aquatic disciplines.