Mental health in elite athletes: International Olympic Committee consensus statement (2019)

Reardon CL, Hainline B, Aron CM, Baron D, Baum AL, Bindra A, Budgett R, Campriani N, Castaldelli-Maia JM, Currie A, Derevensky JL, Glick ID, Gorczynski P, Gouttebarge V, Grandner MA, Han DH, McDuff D, Mountjoy M, Polat A, Purcell R, Putukian M, Rice S, Sills A, Stull T, Swartz L, Zhu LJ, Engebretsen L. Br J Sports Med. 2019 Jun;53(11):667-699. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-100715.

Full Text is Freely Available

“To advance a more standardized, evidence-based approach to mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes, an International Olympic Committee Consensus Work Group critically evaluated the current state of science and provided recommendations.” After a brief introduction and methods, the authors describe the general prevalence of mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes, general approaches to the management of mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes (e.g., psychotherapy, pharmacological treatment), specific mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes, major stressors and key environmental factors that influence elite athlete mental health, and special considerations for mental health in Paralympic athletes.

View 194 other recent position statements, consensus statements, guidelines, and recommendations related to sports medicine.

Additional Readings:

3 Systematic Reviews included with the Statement

Editorial: Breaking a taboo: why theInternational Olympic Committee convened experts to develop a consensus statement on mental health in elite athletes