Research summary · Mental health
Mental-health symptoms are common in elite sport
This review estimates the prevalence of mental-health symptoms among current and former elite athletes to inform the 2026 IOC consensus statement.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Systematic review and meta-analysis supporting an IOC consensus statement
- Journal
- Sports
- Population / context
- Current and former elite athletes
What the publication reports
Seventy-two studies were included. Among current athletes, pooled estimates ranged from 4% for drug-use symptoms to 33% for general distress; among former athletes they ranged from 12% for depression symptoms to 28% for alcohol-related symptoms.
Limits and interpretation
Most estimates came from screening questionnaires rather than clinical diagnoses and showed substantial heterogeneity. The review describes prevalence; it does not show that elite sport caused the symptoms.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Supporting the IOC Consensus Statement on Mental Health in Elite Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Prevalence of Mental Health Symptoms in Elite Sports
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42506839DOI: 10.3390/sports14070296Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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