IOC calls for coordinated action to support athlete mental health

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) released Friday a new international consensus statement to support mental health in elite sport, calling for coordinated action across the sporting ecosystem.

The statement was developed by 31 international experts following an IOC-convened consensus meeting in Lausanne in June 2025 and published in a special edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

"The responsibility for prevention, recognition and management of mental health symptoms and disorders and for promoting wellbeing extends across the entire elite sport ecosystem," the experts, who examined 27 priority areas related to athlete mental health and wellbeing, wrote in the statement.

The statement calls for sporting organizations to "embed mental health as a shared responsibility across the elite sport ecosystem; foster organizational cultures that support wellbeing, psychological safety and help-seeking; address stigma, confidentiality concerns and fears of negative career consequences; implement evidence-based mental health screening and monitoring where appropriate; establish clear mental health emergency action plans; and provide culturally responsive and individualized mental healthcare."

It also recognizes the specific needs of Para athletes and adolescent athletes, and calls for coaches, support staff and healthcare professionals to receive mental health education and training.

The authors conclude that protecting and promoting mental health is fundamental to both athlete welfare and sustainable high performance, requiring leadership, accountability and long-term commitment from sporting organizations.

"While elite athletes experience mental health symptoms and disorders at rates similar to, and in some cases higher than, the general population, they also face challenges that are unique to the elite sport environment," IOC said.

"Factors such as training environments, injury, major life transitions, performance pressures, social media exposure and organizational culture can all affect athlete mental health and wellbeing," it added.