Olympic Committee backs mental health checks for elite athletes

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is calling on sports organizations worldwide to make routine mental health checks and ongoing support for elite athletes a top priority. The committee stresses that fostering mental well-being should be a broad initiative, with the timing of support being a critical factor.

A consensus statement from the IOC suggests that mental health assessments and monitoring should occur at pre-determined intervals and following significant events. It also highlights the importance of addressing factors related to training and competition. While identifying clear mental health disorders in elite athletes remains essential, the IOC notes that a tiered, dynamic framework for athlete well-being offers an additional means to understand the spectrum of psychological performance.

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In the meantime, the identification of clear mental disorders in elite athletes remains essential, but the placement of the athlete's well-being within a tiered and dynamic framework provides an additional means of understanding the range of psychological performance in this category.

This approach acknowledges that elite athletes may experience temporary reactions to competitive pressures or training intensity, which are considered normal parts of their careers. Therefore, mental health considerations are important even when an athlete does not have a diagnosable disorder. These updated recommendations, building on a 2019 statement, are informed by current evidence reviewed by an international committee of 31 experts with diverse clinical and scientific backgrounds.

The IOC aims to transition towards a more unified, evidence-based approach to managing the mental health of elite competitors. Key recommendations also urge medical teams and sports bodies to proactively tackle the stigma associated with mental health, confidentiality issues, and fears of team exclusion. Care for mental health symptoms and disorders should be individualized and scientifically grounded. For elite Paralympians, mental health assessments must account for disability, accessibility barriers, classification systems, and the heightened risks during career transitions.

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The responsibility for the prevention, identification, and management of mental health symptoms and disorders, as well as the promotion of well-being, extends to the entire ecosystem of elite athletes.