Psychotherapy for Mental Health Symptoms and Disorders in Elite Athletes: A Narrative Review
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Athletes, like non-athletes, suffer from mental health symptoms and disorders that affect their lives and their performance. Psychotherapy, either as the sole treatment or combined with other non-pharmacological and pharmacological strategies, is a pivotal component of management of mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes. Psychotherapy takes the form of individual, couples/family or group therapy and should address athlete-specific issues while being embraced as normative by athletes and their core stakeholders. MAIN FINDINGS: This narrative review summarises controlled and non-controlled research on psychotherapy for elite athletes with mental health symptoms and disorders. In summary, treatment is similar to that of non-athletes-although with attention to issues that are athlete-specific. Challenges associated with psychotherapy with elite athletes are discussed, including diagnostic issues, deterrents to help-seeking and expectations about services. We describe certain personality characteristics sometimes associated with elite athletes, including narcissism and aggression, which could make psychotherapy with this population more challenging. The literature regarding psychotherapeutic interventions in elite athletes is sparse and largely anecdotal.
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Athletes rarely seek professional services when they experience mental health issues.
“Yet, even when their suffering is severe, it seems that athletes rarely seek professional services when they experience mental health issues [5,6].”
From Mental health literacy intervention on help-seeking in athletes: a systematic review (2020) · cites this paper as [5]
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Personal Crisis in Athletes: Injuries and Retirement
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General Approaches to Management of Mental Health in Elite Athletes: Psychotherapy
Herzog, T., Eiring, K. M., & Bartley, J. D. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-08364-8_2 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
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EFEITOS DO ESTRESSE MENTAL SOBRE O DESEMPENHO DE ATLETAS DE ALTO RENDIMENTO
da Silva, M. F. L., & Farias, E. R. (2023) · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · doi:10.37885/230412720 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
An Investigation of Canada’s National Coaching Certification Program’s Coaching Outcomes
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Post-traumatic stress disorder and related disorders in elite athletes: a narrative review
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Understanding Mental Health and Wellbeing in Sport
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Estresse mental em atletas de elite: Uma revisão sistemática
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Psychische Erkrankungen bei Leistungssportlern
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Changing the Game: A Review of Collegiate Coaching and Its Effects on Mental Health
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Saúde Mental no Desporto de Alta Competição
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Ciências do Esporte e Educação Física: contribuições contemporâneas em pesquisa
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Helping the Athlete with Depression
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implications of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being in young athletes in Malta
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Mental Health Care of the Baseball Player
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Hogyan viszonyulnak a sportolók a pszichológiai segítséghez?
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Ansiedade e Perturbação de Ansiedade Generalizada em Atletas de Elite
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Balancing Act: An Occupational Lens on the Process of Becoming an Elite Athlete
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- Authors
- Stillman, M. A., Glick, I. D., McDuff, D., Reardon, C. L., Hitchcock, M. E., Fitch, V. M., & Hainline, B.
- Affiliations
- Mercer University (US)
- Stanford Medicine (US)
- University of Maryland, Baltimore (US)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- National Collegiate Athletic Association (US)
- Corresponding author
- Stillman, Mark A
- Venue
- British Journal of Sports Medicine
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2019-04-03
- Volume
- 53
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 767-771
- ISSN
- 0306-3674 (ISSN-L)
- 1473-0480
- OpenAlex
- W2935013234
- Cited by
- 77
- References
- 62
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 1
- Type
- conference abstract
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- British Journal of Sports Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Sport Psychology and Performance
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- psychotherapy, elite athletes, mental illness, psychiatric symptoms, sport psychology, help-seeking barriers, narcissism, aggression, group therapy, family therapy, couple therapy, diagnostic challenges
- MeSH terms
- Mental Disorders, Humans, Mental Health, Psychotherapy, Athletes
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