Mental health services at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

This letter discusses the provision of mental health services at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mental health service at the polyclinic in the Olympic village was open three times a week from 10 am to 7 pm. Five board-certified psychiatrists were assigned to work in rotation, and on-call telephone support was provided during the absence of a physician on duty. Eight patients visited the polyclinic for mental health services during the Olympics. Among them, three were athletes and five, members of the team staff. During the Paralympics, two patients, both of whom were members of the team staff, visited the polyclinic for mental health services. Thus, 11 people were examined at the polyclinic throughout the Olympic and Paralympic games. All patients, except for one, met the diagnostic criteria for Adjustment Disorder. During the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, those who tested positive for COVID-19 had to follow quarantine rules which possibly took a toll on their mental health. The organizing committee of the games announced that a total of 863 athletes and officials had tested positive, of which 41 were athletes. Those who tested positive for COVID-19 were promptly quarantined at a designated isolation facility. Although holding the Olympic and Paralympic games under pandemic conditions appears unprecedented, future games may need to be held in similar circumstances. Therefore, it is critical to summarize the issues ahead of the 2022 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. While it is uncertain whether the pandemic will be under control by then, we suggest that the psychological support system for athletes and officials should be further developed and expanded. The polyclinic at the 2020 Games consisted of only psychiatrists and lacked clinical psychologists. Therefore, the importance of deploying well-trained psychologists among the policlinic staff should be emphasized. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)