Expert blog: Mental health in women’s football – are we doing enough?
As the Lionesses head into their quarter final game v Sweden at the UEFA Women's EURO 2025, Dr Laura Healy takes a look at mental health in women's football, what's being done and the importance of players feeling supported by club and country.
By Dr Laura Healy, Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology | Published on 17 July 2025
Categories: Press office; Research; School of Science and Technology;
On the eve of the Lionesses’ squad for the UEFA Women’s Euros 2025 being announced, Millie Bright announced that she was . She had been a pivotal part of the team that won the competition three years ago and captained the squad in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Her reason – being burned out, not able to give 100% mentally or physically.
Burnout is a mental health problem that can indicate poor mental health and well-being. It involves feelings of being overextended and depleted, lack of achievement and productivity, and feeling detached from your sport.
has shown that feeling burned out can result in poorer performance in athletes.
While Millie Bright has been supported by her teammates and manager, the omission of such an important player for a major tournament raises questions about whether enough is being done to support the mental health and well-being of female footballers.
Extent of mental health problems
Millie Bright is not alone in experiencing poor mental health. conducted on players from the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship shows a bleak picture. A third of players reported disordered eating symptoms, and 11% displayed moderate to severe anxiety or depression. Only half of the players could access psychological support for their mental health through their current club.
Similar findings have been found in elite female footballers playing in other countries, including , , and . When compared with their male counterparts, female footballers reported higher levels of mental health symptoms, including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and distress.
Rates of mental health problems tend to be higher in women footballers than the levels found in the wider public.
Curse or cure?
While statistics show that the rates of poor mental health are high in female footballers, other studies show that football can have both positive and negative impacts. Football can often be a , providing an environment for . On the other hand, competitive pressures, selection issues, and injuries can be detrimental to player’s mental health.
Coaches can play a significant role in the mental health and well-being of female players. Sarina Weigman supported Millie Bright’s decision, recognising the need for her to prioritise her health.
However, has shown that female players can feel nervous about talking about mental health problems with their coaches, fearing not being selected as a result. Players also discussed how masculine norms of not discussing mental health were commonplace in the women’s game.
Raising the game
Research on how to intervene to promote and protect mental health is in its infancy. Despite this, there are recommendations to enhance the experience of players in women’s football.
Educating players about mental health – also known as – can be one way to benefit players’ well-being. This approach involves promoting knowledge and positive attitudes towards mental health, as well removing barriers to seeking support.
In sports such as women’s rugby, relate to stronger intentions to seek help for mental health problems.
Programmes aimed at increasing mental health literacy can also around seeking professional support for mental health.
Equipping coaches and players with knowledge around mental health can also to support someone they know who is experiencing a mental health problem. they would like this training to be included in coaching qualifications.
In addition to mental health literacy, all clubs and national football organisations should also ensure that all players have access to .
Where services are already in place, players, coaches, and support staff should regularly be reminded of how they can access this if they are experiencing poor mental health.
Looking ahead to the 2027 FIFA World Cup
We don’t know what the rest of the tournament holds for the Lionesses. However, by the time the squad is announced for the next World Cup in Brazil, it would be great to hear that players feel supported by club and country to be in the best physical and mental condition to compete.