Research summary · Mental health
Psychological programmes for athlete wellbeing
This review examines programmes designed to improve elite athletes' wellbeing and factors that help or hinder participation.
- Publication year
- 2025
- First published online
- Publication type
- Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Journal
- Sports Medicine
- Population / context
- Adult elite athletes · Multiple sports
What the publication reports
Twenty-seven studies were reviewed and 15 contributed to meta-analyses. Psychological skills, third-wave and positive psychology approaches showed favourable pooled effects. Adaptable delivery and coach or teammate support helped implementation; busy schedules and complex content were barriers.
Limits and interpretation
Evidence included substantial non-randomised research. The third-wave effect was no longer significant when quasi-experimental studies were excluded. These wellbeing findings do not establish treatment effectiveness for diagnosed mental illness.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Psychological Interventions to Improve Elite Athlete Mental Wellbeing: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 39815135DOI: 10.1007/s40279-024-02173-3Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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