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Abstract

Mental health concerns for athletes and being open about their challenges with these concerns have been seen by many as taboo. Social media, particularly Instagram, has been utilized by many athletes to market themselves, connect with their fans, and show a peek behind the curtains, including challenges living with mental health concerns. This study explored how general Instagram users respond to two elite female athletes’ posts regarding their mental health. Through digital ethnography, 105 comments on thirteen posts for Simone Biles (n = 7) and Naomi Osaka (n = 6) before and during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics were analyzed. A combination of thematic analysis and discourse analysis was utilized, resulting in two primary themes came to light: combating mental health stigma and furthering mental health stigma for elite female athletes. These themes highlight the utilization of one-way interactions, and the prevalence of mental health stigma among high-performing athletes.

Keywords

social media case study digital ethnography female elite athletes

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Athlete Mental Health Discourse in Sport: Simone Biles,Naomi Osaka,and the Case of Instagram

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