Diagnosis and psychiatric treatment of athletes

Although enormous amounts of time and money have been invested in enhancing performance for college and professional athletes, their psychiatric needs have been minimally addressed. Given the virtual absence of controlled scientific literature, in this article the authors detail the diagnostic issues and delineate treatment principles, including: (1) making an accurate diagnosis; (2) setting realistic goals; (3) delivering psycho-education; (4) inducing the patient to undergo treatment, including involving the family and significant others; and (5) delivering appropriate treatment (the most difficult task). The objective is to improve performance and quality of life by treating the problem or psychiatric illness. A special concern is minimizing countertransference feelings and avoiding undertreatment, because by definition the athlete needs to perform.