Mental Health in the Athlete

Athletes suffer from most mental health symptoms and disorders at prevalences that equal or exceed those of the general population. They may be at disproportionate risk for sleep problems, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, disordered eating and eating disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and some addictive disorders. Clinicians should be aware of nuanced presentations of mental health disorders in athletes, routinely ask their patients about mental health, and readily refer or treat. Psychotherapy is first-line treatment for most mental health symptoms and disorders in athletes, and medications may be necessary.