On July 27, 2021 Simone Biles, the world’s greatest gymnast, withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics to prioritize her mental health. The move sent shockwaves through the gymnastics community and elite athletics everywhere. How could, and why would, the greatest drop out? Despite controversy and naysayers online, many applauded her bravery and willingness to put her own well-being first. Following the Tokyo Games, Biles took time away from the sport—focusing on herself and other aspects of her life, including therapy, business endeavors, and getting married.
Fast forward almost exactly three years, and Biles is once again an Olympic champion, leading the U.S. women’s gymnastics team to a gold medal in Paris on Tuesday before securing the gold in the All-Around competition on Thursday, with even more opportunities for medals on the horizon.
Biles deserves all the praise she has received—not only for her incredible athleticism and grace under pressure but also for her perseverance and unwavering faith in herself. What I’d like to also applaud her for, however, is how she has—perhaps unintentionally—destigmatized mental health leaves of absence for millions of people around the world, especially American women.
What is a mental health leave of absence?
A mental health leave of absence is time a person takes away from work to address a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety. The duration may be quite short (a matter of days) or more lengthy (weeks or even months) depending on the condition the person is struggling with and the course of treatment recommended by their healthcare provider.
Mental Health leaves can be protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which has been around for decades. Most people are familiar with taking leave for their physical medical conditions or caring for a family member; however, there has historically been a lower usage of protected leaves for mental health. This likely is related to the stigma and fear around asking for support. A 2020 study from Aetna International found that more than half (52%) of employees with a diagnosed mental health issue admitted to lying to their employer about their reasons for taking a sick day. The same study also found people were twice as likely to take time off for a physical health issue than a mental health problem (66% versus 34% respectively).
The tides are turning
Data from my company, ComPsych—which administers leave of absence and accommodations for more than 6 million people—shows there’s been a staggering 300% increase in mental health-related leaves from 2017 to 2023. This trend has been driven primarily by female workers. In fact, new data for the first quarter of 2024 shows that women accounted for 71% of these leaves.
There is clearly a shift happening in the absence space, as well as a crisis among American women, many of whom are a part of the “sandwich generation” caring for both older loved ones as well as children while trying to manage the demands of their career. I suspect these women are stretching themselves so thin until they surpass burnout—just as Biles did in Tokyo.
There is a silver lining. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a reduction in mental health stigma. We haven’t eliminated stigma, unfortunately, and it remains a barrier to care; but with this shift in the right direction, more and more people are willing to share their own stories and personal struggles with mental health. It appears they are also more willing to take the leaves they need to prioritize treatment. Simone Biles is a wonderful example of this, as she became an inspiration for many, helping move the needle and making it more comfortable and safer for others to reach out for support as well.
The path forward
This data tells us we have an imperative as individuals, as organizations, and as a society to do more to support women and help them better prioritize self-care and work-life balance. In doing so, we would ideally prevent the need for a mental health leave in the first place.
Of course, this change won’t happen overnight. Generations of women have internalized the message that they have to push through difficult times and sacrifice their own well-being in order to put others first or to achieve their goals—whether that be a promotion at work or a gold medal.
That’s why Biles’s example is so powerful. A huge part of the stigma for these leaves is the “What will everyone think of me?” and “Will I be treated differently?” questions. What Biles showed in Tokyo was that she was brave enough to put herself first—work on her well-being and self-care, with the goal of coming back stronger and healthier. While that didn’t need to be a return to the Olympics, she did just that. In Paris, she proved she was able to return to the sport she loves as the same top performer her peers have always known.
I hope people everywhere are inspired by this story. I know I am. While we need to keep stigma-busting and encouraging mental health care into our daily routines to prevent burnout and leaves, I also hope women out there realize they are capable of leaving and coming back stronger.
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