IOC Calls for Routine Mental Health Screening in Elite Sport

The International Olympic Committee’s updated consensus statement calls for elite sports organizations to make mental health a routine part of athlete health care. It recommends screening and monitoring for mental health symptoms and disorders using validated instruments, meaning questionnaires or tools that have been tested for their ability to identify possible concerns.

The document is not a new clinical trial. It is an expert consensus statement published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2026. An IOC Consensus Group reviewed the available science through a systematic literature review, then used a Delphi process, a structured method for reaching agreement among experts, to develop recommendations.

The group’s central message is that mental health symptoms and disorders are common among elite athletes. The statement also says these concerns may have sport-related causes or show up in sport-specific ways, and may affect performance.

The accompanying news coverage highlights pressures that can affect athletes, including injury, overtraining, burnout, competition pressure, public attention and social media abuse. It also notes that major transitions, such as leaving sport, may be difficult periods. The consensus statement specifically says athletes transitioning out of sport, Para athletes and young elite athletes are relatively understudied and may have distinct concerns.

Routine screening is intended as an early-warning step, not a diagnosis. A screening result can suggest that an athlete may need a fuller conversation or assessment with a qualified mental health professional. It should not be used to decide that someone is unfit to compete or belong on a team.

The statement also goes beyond screening. It recommends strategies that promote mental well-being as well as prevent and treat symptoms and disorders. Those strategies should address contributors to mental health concerns, including factors in the places where athletes train and compete.

The experts say treatment can include psychotherapy, medication and other approaches that fit a person’s culture and circumstances. With suitable support and treatment, many athletes experiencing mental health concerns can continue to train and compete safely. In some situations, though, sport participation may need to be modified.

The recommendations do not prove that regular screening improves athletes’ mental health, help-seeking, careers or performance. The abstract does not provide participant numbers, a specific screening schedule, outcomes or follow-up results. It also does not name a single screening tool in the material provided.

Putting this guidance into practice would require sports organizations to choose appropriate validated tools, protect private health information and ensure qualified support is available when screening identifies a concern. More research is especially needed for groups the statement describes as understudied, including athletes leaving sport, Para athletes and adolescent elite athletes.