Research summary · Women in sport
Women's soccer mental-health review highlights a small, heterogeneous evidence base
This review searched three databases and mapped 13 empirical studies published during 2020–2025 on mental health and related psychological constructs in competitive women's soccer. It included quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods evidence across adult and adolescent settings.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Scoping review
- Journal
- Sports
- Population / context
- Women's soccer · Professional, semi-professional and adolescent competition
What the publication reports
Stress, anxiety, mood and resilience dominated the literature. Studies described performance pressure and fatigue alongside potentially supportive factors such as social support and team cohesion. None evaluated a psychological intervention, leaving the effectiveness of proposed support strategies unresolved.
Limits and interpretation
The small, varied evidence base was geographically concentrated and lacked formal methodological-quality appraisal. Different instruments and populations prevent a reliable pooled prevalence estimate. Reported associations and conceptual themes do not establish causal effects or represent all women's soccer environments.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Mental Health and Psychological Constructs Related to Performance in Professional, Semi-Professional, and Competitive Adolescent Women's Soccer Players: A Scoping Review
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42784386DOI: 10.3390/sports14090390Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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