Jeffrey Lee Derevensky

This consensus statement represents an update to Mental Health in Elite Athletes: International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement (2019) . To advance a more standardised, evidence-based approach to mental health in elite athletes, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus Group critically evaluated the current science via a systematic literature review, sought consensus using Delphi methodology and provided recommendations relevant to this topic. Key themes include that mental health symptoms and disorders are (1) common among elite athletes; (2) may have sport-related aetiologies and manifestations; and (3) can impact performance. Routine screening for and monitoring of mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes using validated instruments is recommended. Management strategies should promote mental well-being in addition to preventing and treating mental health symptoms and disorders. These strategies should address all contributors to mental health symptoms, including factors within the environments in which athletes train and compete. Treatment may include psychotherapy, medication and other culturally or contextually appropriate modalities. With appropriate support and treatment, many athletes experiencing mental health symptoms and disorders can continue to train and compete safely, but sometimes modification of sport participation may be necessary. Elite athletes who are transitioning out of sport, elite Para athletes and elite young (adolescent) athletes are relatively understudied and may have distinct mental health concerns, in addition to those impacting elite athletes in general.

Participants in this priority-setting activity were 24 individuals who attended the second IOC consensus meeting on mental health in elite athletes. The demographic characteristics and professional roles of these individuals have been described elsewhere.5 Guided by prior applications of consensus methodology to priority setting,6–9 we employed a two-phase process …

Technological advances and regulatory changes have substantially expanded access to sports wagering in the United States, raising concerns about gambling behaviors among collegiate athletes. Since 2004, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has conducted a large-scale survey every four years to monitor gambling behaviors among student-athletes. The present study examined trends in gambling among NCAA student-athletes over a twenty-year period. Data were drawn from five waves of the NCAA National Study on Collegiate Wagering conducted in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2024. Across these cohorts, more than 100,000 student-athletes completed anonymous surveys assessing gambling participation, sports wagering behaviors, attitudes toward gambling, and problem gambling severity. Gambling activities were measured using the Gambling Activities Questionnaire, and gambling severity was assessed using DSM-IV-TR criteria for pathological gambling. Descriptive analyses were used to examine trends across survey years. Overall gambling participation declined over time, with increasing proportions of non-gamblers and decreasing rates of social gambling among both men and women. Rates of at-risk and probable pathological gambling remained low and relatively stable. Male student-athletes consistently reported higher gambling participation and sports wagering than females. Notable shifts included increases in fantasy sports betting, parlay bets, live in-game betting, and prop bets, often conducted through mobile platforms. Although overall gambling participation has declined, evolving forms of sports wagering and greater accessibility through online platforms present new challenges. Continued prevention, education, and responsible gambling policies are needed to protect student-athletes and preserve the integrity of college sports.

A 2020 meta-analysis approximated that 7% of the global population exhibits symptoms consistent with internet addictions. This prompted global attention to the issue, marked by functional impairment in various aspects of life. In 2019, gaming disorder (GD) was added to the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), providing a clearer, monothetic approach to the disorder. Building on this framework, a review for the first world health organization (WHO) meeting on problematic internet use (PIU) identified cross cultural representations in global epidemiological studies from 2000 to 2014; 14 countries submitted reviews of their approaches in 2016. Following GD recognition updates from six countries examined treatment progress from 2016-2024. This report details the various treatments practices, treatment needs, facilitators of treatment response and development as well as identified barriers to GD treatment response in these six countries, accompanied by a discussion of progress and recommendations for the future.

Sports betting is becoming increasingly widespread, and a growing number of individuals, both adolescents and adults, participate in this type of gambling. The main aim of this systematic review was to assess correlates of sports betting (sociodemographic features, gambling-related variables, co-occurring psychopathologies, and personality tendencies) through a systematic review conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Relevant studies were identified via searches of NCBI/PubMed and APA PsycInfo databases. Individuals from the general population and/or with a clinical diagnosis of gambling disorder (GD) were included, irrespective of gender and age. In addition, the studies needed to have administered at least one clinical interview/psychometric instrument to assess the presence of problematic gambling/GD, contain at least one group of participants with sports betting, and directly analyze the association between sports betting and any of the following features: sociodemographics, gambling-related variables, co-occurring psychopathologies, and/or personality tendencies. Fifty-four articles were included. Multiple sociodemographic variables have been studied in relation to sports betting. In general, males with high impulsivity have greater tendencies for sports betting. The co-occurrence of certain pathologies, especially substance use or other addictive disorders, was also suggested. Most studies were cross-sectional, assessed participants using self-administered instruments, recruited samples using non-probability online panels, included small samples, had unbalanced samples, and included samples from only one country. Impulsive males may be particularly prone to sports gambling and related problems. Future research should examine prevention strategies that may help prevent the development of sport-betting-related GD and other addictive behaviors in vulnerable individuals.