Michael Phelps opens up on mental health struggles in new documentary on famous Olympians

Phelps, who won 23 gold medals in his career, offered his thoughts on why athletes may struggle with mental health despite success in their sports

Phelps: 'There are so many of us out there that really are struggling' (Getty Images)

Olympic icon Michael Phelps is helping to put a spotlight on mental health by appearing in a new documentary discussing his own challenges with wellbeing.

The series will speak to high-profile Olympic athletes who have experienced both the “highs and lows of competing on the national stage”, explains People.com.

The Weight of Gold will be screened on HBO and Phelps revealed in an interview with Today that it took him a long time to realise that other people in similar situations also struggled at times.

“There are so many of us out there that really are struggling,” he said. “It took five Olympics for me to really see it.

“I think me being in the mental state that I was going into 2016, allowed me that opportunity to be open to have the interactions that I had with the other athletes, and that led me to believe that there are others who are struggling and struggling very, very hard.”

Phelps, who won 23 gold medals in his career, offered his thoughts on why athletes may struggle with mental health despite success in their sports.

He hopes the documentary being shot in a “raw” state will get across just how difficult it was for him at times, and hopes it encourages more people to talk about their own issues.

“It was wild to see that I wasn’t alone,” he continued. “But it also made me feel good because there were other people that could help understand ‘It’s okay to not be okay’.“

The documentary airs on HBO from 29 July.