Mental Health in the Youth Athlete

Recent decades have seen several changes in the landscape of youth sports, with declining rates of participation, increased early sport specialization, and disparities emerging in the face of rising costs of participation and a trend toward private and club-based organizations. There are important considerations that are unique to the athletic population, including but not limited to depression in the context of overtraining and burnout, performance anxiety, perfectionism and disordered eating, mental health implications of musculoskeletal injuries, and psychological sequalae of concussion. Effective management of mental health concerns in the athletic population requires continued efforts to improve mental health literacy, decrease stigma, promote help-seeking behaviors, and encourage the routine implementation of effective screening practices.

Automated summary

Youth sports have undergone significant changes in recent decades, including declining participation, increased early specialization, and disparities resulting from rising costs and the shift towards private and club-based organizations. The athletic population faces unique mental health considerations such as depression, performance anxiety, perfectionism, disordered eating, musculoskeletal injuries, and the psychological effects of concussions. Managing mental health concerns in this population requires improving mental health literacy, reducing stigma, promoting help-seeking behaviors, and implementing effective screening practices.