Processing Paris: Evaluating the efficacy of a post-Olympic Games psychological decompression intervention for elite performers

Introduction
The 'Post-Olympic Blues' is a phenomenon where elite athletes can experience a decline in subsequent performance and maladaptive mental and emotional responses after their Games participation. Despite being considered elite performers in their own right, coaches’ unique psychological responses to their Olympic Games participation have largely been unexplored. To bridge the gaps that currently exist in psychological recovery post-major competition, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an intervention designed to assist elite performers to psychologically decompress from their Olympic Games experience.

Method
The intervention was underpinned by a strengths-based approach emanating from positive psychology. To promote an inclusive, equitable approach of psychological support for all elite performers, participants included both athletes and coaches who participated in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Framed by the Kirkpatrick model, a post-intervention qualitative survey was deployed with participants to evaluate the perceived efficacy of the intervention across four levels of impact: (i) Reaction, (ii) Learning, (iii) Behavior, and (iv) Results. Pre-and post-intervention assessments were also conducted to gauge changes in subjective psychological readiness to perform.

Results
Preliminary results indicated positive perceptions of the intervention, highlighting its benefits and usefulness in helping participants process the emotion surrounding their experience and reset for future challenges. Respondents reported enhanced self-awareness and psychological flexibility, improved psychological readiness to perform, and a positive outlook on future goals.

Applied implications
This study underscores the necessity of providing holistic, inclusive, and equitable psychological support that fosters adaptive psychological recovery from the pressures associated with major sporting competition. The positive preliminary feedback suggests that incorporating strengths-based psychological decompression (SBPD) interventions with athletes and coaches could be a vital component of psychological health, wellbeing, and performance support geared towards enhancing psychological readiness to perform and long-term performance sustainability.