Mental Skills vs. Mental Health: Understanding the Difference

Written by: Allison Meyers, Psy.D., LP, MGCP

Mental performance coaching focuses on developing mental skills such as tools like focus, confidence, emotional regulation, and composure under pressure. These skills help athletes perform at their best, especially in high-stress moments. Just like physical strength or agility, mental skills can be trained, improved, and integrated into an athlete’s routine to enhance consistency, resilience, and enjoyment in sport.

Mental health, on the other hand, refers to overall psychological well-being and includes how we cope with stress, relate to others, and manage clinical symptoms in everyday life. These symptoms may meet criteria for a mental health diagnosis, indicating notable impairment in functioning throughout a person’s life. While this may include their athletic performance, typically these symptoms affect people across the board in areas like school/work, relationships, socialization, and even hygiene. While mental skills training can support mental wellness, it is not a substitute for therapy or medication. In short: mental skills help athletes perform, while mental health support helps them function and feel well. Athletes can utilize both mental skills training and mental health treatment when needed.