Public Attention to Athlete Mental Health: An Exploratory Google Trends Analysis of Seasonal Patterns and High-Profile Events, 2019-2025

In the modern world, the internet acts as a massive, real-time mirror of public curiosity. When people wonder about a health topic, they often turn to search engines first, typing in questions or phrases that reveal what is on their collective mind. This behavior creates a vast stream of data that researchers can study to understand how attention shifts over time, a field known as infodemiology. It does not measure how many people are suffering or seeking help directly; instead, it measures how often the public asks about these issues. By looking at these search patterns, scientists can see if interest in a topic grows steadily, spikes during certain seasons, or reacts to major news events. This approach offers a unique way to track the public conversation around sensitive subjects like mental health, especially when traditional surveys might miss the mark because people are reluctant to admit their struggles or because the cultural environment discourages open discussion.

A recent study by Charles Kakkanatt, a researcher at the Bergen County Institute of Science & Technology, used this method to explore how the public pays attention to the mental well-being of athletes. For years, the conversation around sports injuries has been dominated by physical trauma, such as broken bones or concussions. However, in recent years, the narrative has shifted to include the psychological toll of competition. The researcher wanted to know if the public's interest in athlete mental health followed the same seasonal patterns as interest in physical injuries, or if it moved independently. He also wanted to see if specific, high-profile moments in sports history—where athletes stepped away from competition to protect their mental health—caused a lasting change in what people were searching for online.

To answer these questions, the study examined search data from the United States spanning from 2019 to 2025. The researcher tracked how often people searched for terms related to "athlete mental health" and compared them to searches for physical injuries like concussions. The data revealed a clear, steady rise in interest regarding athlete mental health over these seven years. While the number of people searching for physical injury terms remained relatively flat, the interest in mental health topics grew significantly each year. This suggests that the public conversation is evolving, with more people actively looking for information on the psychological side of sports, regardless of whether a specific injury crisis has occurred.

The study also looked at when these searches happened throughout the year. It found that interest in both physical injuries and mental health peaks at the same time: during the autumn months, specifically from September through November. This is the height of the American football season, a time when physical collisions are frequent and injuries are common. The data showed that searches for concussions and searches for athlete mental health rose and fell together during these weeks. Contrary to the idea that people might search for mental health support only after an injury has occurred and some time has passed, the two topics appeared to rise simultaneously. This suggests that during the intense period of the football season, the public is thinking about both the physical and mental risks of the sport at the same time.

The researcher then examined two major events from 2021 to see how the public reacted when famous athletes withdrew from competition due to mental health concerns. In May of that year, tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open. Although her name was searched more than any other topic that year, the study found no significant increase in searches for "athlete mental health" or "sport psychology" following her decision. The public was interested in her, but they did not necessarily connect her withdrawal to the broader topic of mental health in sports.

In contrast, when gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021, the result was different. Her withdrawal was explicitly framed around mental health, and the data showed a sharp, immediate increase in searches for "athlete mental health" and "sport psychology" that lasted for weeks. This suggests that the way a story is told matters greatly. When an athlete's departure is linked directly to mental health in the public discourse, it sparks a wave of curiosity and information-seeking about the topic. When the focus remains on the athlete's name or the controversy without that specific framing, the broader conversation does not necessarily shift.

The study concludes that while public attention to athlete mental health is growing and follows the seasonal rhythm of major sports, it is not simply a reaction to physical injuries. The rise in interest appears to be a sustained trend rather than a fleeting reaction to a crisis. Furthermore, the research highlights that high-profile events only drive this conversation forward when the narrative explicitly includes mental health. The data serves as a record of what the public is curious about, not a direct measure of how many athletes are struggling or seeking help. It paints a picture of a society that is increasingly aware of the mental side of sports, but one that still relies on clear, direct storytelling to turn that awareness into active interest.