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Letter from the EditorWelcome to the relaunch of the ISSP Sports Psychiatry Newsletter. This is a reboot of our former newsletter, last released in January 2023, now refreshed with a new look, updated content, and a clear mission: to connect our global community of clinicians, researchers, and professionals dedicated to athlete mental health.
Beginning with this issue, the newsletter will be released three times a year, aligning with major milestones in sports psychiatry and ISSP activities. Each edition will highlight new research, clinical insights, global events, and resources to support best practices in caring for athletes and promoting mental wellness in sport.
Our September issue arrives at an exciting time, as we look ahead to the PROMISE Conference in Edinburgh, where ISSP members and international leaders will gather to advance the field. We’re also proud to spotlight new initiatives such as the Youth Committee Coaches Tip Sheets, designed to provide practical, evidence-based guidance for coaches supporting young athletes.
The goal of this newsletter is simple: to serve as a reliable, accessible hub for the latest developments in sports psychiatry and to strengthen the connections across our international community. We hope you’ll find inspiration in these pages and encourage you to share feedback, contribute content, and stay engaged with the work of ISSP. — Andrew Del Colle, MD, MS Editor, ISSP Sports Psychiatry Newsletter |
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| | In This Issue
Sports Psychiatry in the News Highlights from the APA Annual Meeting, MLB's youth mental health partnership, Temple's TUWell program, and Canadian soccer's expanded mental health coverage.
Emerging Research New findings on perfectionism and injury risk, para-athlete distress, RED-S care models, and psychiatrists' updated treatment preferences for athletes.
Events & Education Recap of May's top conferences and upcoming global events including ISSP's PROMISE Conference and the World Congress of Psychiatry.
Issue Feature: Lifestyle Psychiatry in Sports A deep dive into integrating the Six Pillars: exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress, substance use, and social connection into athlete mental health care.
Resources & Quick Links Toolkits, mentorship programs, open access journals, and submission invites for future issues. |
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The APA Foundation's "Where We Play" initiative brought unprecedented attention to sports psychiatry at the 2025 Annual Meeting (May 18). Two CME sessions, co-moderated by Dr. Mark Allen and Dr. Brook Choulet, united professional athletes and clinicians to address mental wellness in athletics. The program featured an NBA wellness counselor and Olympic sports psychiatrists discussing strategies for integrating mental health services in sports organizations and reducing stigma across youth and elite athletics. Practice Impact: This high-profile platform signals growing institutional support for sports psychiatry as a legitimate subspecialty within organized psychiatry. |
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| Stanford University has announced the creation of the Sports and Performance Psychiatry Fellowship, the first program in the United States exclusively dedicated to training psychiatrists in athlete and performance-based mental health care. Fellows will train within Stanford Medicine and Stanford Athletics, with opportunities in psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, consultative roles, and multidisciplinary collaboration. The program also includes didactics, outreach, and a required research project, with an optional second year available through the Wu Tsai Human Performance Clinician-Scientist Fellowship. Educational Impact: This marks a major milestone for the field. The program sets a precedent for advanced training pathways, expanding research opportunities, and integrating athlete-focused psychiatry into academic medicine. |
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| In a May 2025 interview marking Mental Health Awareness Month, MLB and Crisis Text Line leaders provided an update on their 2023 partnership. Dr. Shairi Turner, psychiatrist and Chief Health Officer of Crisis Text Line, reported that the free 24/7 text counseling service has seen significant uptake among young baseball players and families. The interview revealed that MLB's ongoing involvement continues to normalize mental health discussions, with youth athletes now seeking help for mental health concerns as readily as they would for physical injuries. Clinical Update: Two years of data demonstrate sustained engagement and reduced stigma when sports organizations maintain long-term mental health partnerships. |
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| In a 2025 case study, Dr. Stephany Coakley detailed lessons learned from Temple University's "TUWell" mental wellness program for student-athletes, sharing implementation strategies and outcomes data. The article outlines specific best practices that emerged from the program's operation, including effective stigma reduction through education, streamlined referral processes, and metrics showing improved access to psychiatric care among athletes. Implementation Insights: Temple's experience provides tested strategies for institutions currently developing or refining their athlete mental health programs. |
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| The Professional Footballers Association of Canada announced an expansion of mental health services through a new partnership with Onrise (May 12, 2025). Building on growing recognition of athlete mental health needs, this initiative provides all professional soccer players in Canada with free, confidential access to counseling and psychiatric services. The athlete-led program represents the latest in a global trend of players' associations taking active roles in mental health provision. Global Trend: Players' associations worldwide are increasingly taking leadership in establishing comprehensive mental health services for their members. |
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| Citation: Bentzen M, et al. (2025). "Mental distress is associated with injury and illness in elite Para athletes: a 44-week prospective study." BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 11(1): e002267. Methodology: 44-week prospective study tracking 59 elite Para athletes' mental health symptoms, injuries, and illnesses. Results: Weekly prevalence: 15% for anxiety, 21% for depression symptoms Cumulative prevalence over study: 58% anxiety, 42% depression Mental distress significantly associated with concurrent injuries/illnesses Shorter sleep duration correlated with increased symptoms
Practice Implication: Routine mental health monitoring should be integrated into Para athlete care, with particular attention during injury/illness periods when vulnerability increases. |
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| Citation: Gil-Caselles L, et al. (2025). "Perfectionism, mental health and vulnerability to injury in triathletes." Frontiers in Psychology, 16:1561432. Study Population: 172 triathletes across youth, amateur, and elite levels. Key Discoveries: Maladaptive perfectionism linked to greater injury risk Depression and stress associated with longer recovery times Athletes with higher "vigor" experienced fewer injuries Psychological distress both contributes to and prolongs injury
Clinical Relevance: Screening for perfectionism and mental health issues should be integrated into injury prevention and rehabilitation protocols, requiring collaboration between sports psychiatrists and medical staff. |
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| Citation: Wang W, et al. (2025). "Psychological interventions to improve elite athlete mental wellbeing: a systematic review and meta-analysis." Sports Medicine, 55(4): 877-897. Review Scope: 27 studies examining interventions for promoting mental well-being (not just treating illness) in elite athletes. Intervention Categories and Effects: Psychological skills training: moderate improvements (SMD ~0.8) Third-wave interventions (mindfulness, ACT): improved resilience and mood Positive psychology approaches: enhanced overall well-being All categories showed significant beneficial effects
Implementation Guidance: Sport organizations should facilitate proactive mental health programs focusing on skill-building rather than waiting for crisis intervention. Prevention-focused approaches can help athletes flourish while potentially guarding against future mental illness. |
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| Citation: Reardon CL, et al. (2025). "Psychiatric treatment preferences of sports psychiatrists for athlete-patients across competitive levels: a 2024 update." The Physician and Sportsmedicine, published online April 29, 2025. Study Design: International survey of 75 sports psychiatrists examining medication preferences and clinical practices when treating athletes. Key Findings: Bupropion was the top choice for depression without anxiety Escitalopram preferred for depression with anxiety and anxiety disorders Extended-release methylphenidate (OROS) favored for ADHD Heightened concern about sedation, weight gain, and performance impacts Most psychiatrists order more comprehensive medical workups for athletes
Clinical Application: This study provides evidence-based guidance for medication selection in athletes, emphasizing the need to minimize performance-impairing side effects while effectively treating psychiatric conditions. |
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| Citation: Edwards CD, et al. (2025). "Responding to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): a multidisciplinary care pathway for safe return to sport." Sports Psychiatry, 4(2). Framework Components: Medical evaluation (bone density, menstrual function) Nutritional rehabilitation protocols Psychological support integration Clear return-to-play criteria
Clinical Significance: This pathway exemplifies the essential collaboration between psychiatry, sports nutrition, and sports medicine in treating complex conditions like RED-S. The integrated approach ensures both physical safety and mental well-being during recovery, providing a model for multidisciplinary athlete care. |
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| Recent Highlights (Summer 2025) |
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| APA 2025 - Dr. David Baron Honored with the Presidential Award May 2025, Los Angeles, CA - At APA’s 2025 Annual Meeting, Dr. David Baron was honored with the APA Presidential Award. This honor, the organization’s highest recognition, highlights Dr. Baron’s contributions to sports psychiatry and underscores the field’s growing presence within general psychiatry. |
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| International Society for Sports Psychiatry (ISSP) Annual Conference May 2025, Held Virtually - The International Society for Sports Psychiatry held its annual meeting virtually. Sports psychiatrists worldwide convened online to share new research findings and clinical pearls in athlete mental health, maintaining global collaboration in the field. |
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| Sports Psychiatry Track at APA Annual Meeting May 2025, Los Angeles, CA - The APA meeting featured a dedicated sports psychiatry “highlight track,” including sessions like “Expanding the Field: An Introduction to Sports Psychiatry and Interdisciplinary Mental Health Care in Athletics” and “From the Arena to Everyday Life: A Comprehensive Exploration of Mental Health in Elite Sports”. These sessions brought athlete mental health to the forefront, giving psychiatrists and trainees insight into emerging best practices for caring for athletes and teams. |
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| August 2025 - The ISSP Youth Committee has launched a new series of Coaches Tip Sheets designed to equip coaches with practical, evidence-based tools to support athlete well-being. The first release is a comprehensive guide on sport-related concussions, offering recognition, management, and prevention strategies tailored for athletic settings. Each tip sheet is created to enhance mental health literacy, promote safer sport environments, and give coaches clear, actionable steps for protecting athletes. Additional topics will follow in the coming months. |
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| September 20-21 2025, Edinburgh, Scotland - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Mental Health Leadership Group will host the in-person Protecting Mental Health in Sport + Exercise (PROMISE) Conference, bringing together global leaders to focus exclusively on athlete mental health. Supported by the ISSP, this flagship event will feature an international lineup of experts in athlete mental health. Among the highlighted speakers at the event are Dr. Carla Edwards, ISSP President, and Dr. Claudia Reardon. The full program can be viewed at the link above. |
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| October 5-8, 2025, Prague, Czech Republic - The WPA’s flagship meeting will feature an “Exercise & Sports Psychiatry” track as part of its theme of psychiatry’s evolving roles. This global conference offers sports psychiatrists and trainees a chance to learn the latest research on athlete mental health and share insights with an international audience. |
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| | | Implementing Lifestyle Psychiatry in Sports: Evidence-Based Integration of the Six Pillars Framework |
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| Lifestyle psychiatry represents a paradigm shift in mental health care, especially for athletes. This approach integrates the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: physical activity, nutrition, sleep, stress management, substance avoidance, and social connection into sports psychiatric practice, moving beyond symptom management to optimize well-being and performance. Here, we review the evidence base, practical applications, and implementation strategies, with explicit references to recent guidelines and research. Introduction The field of lifestyle psychiatry has gained momentum, highlighted by the 2023 international clinical guidelines from the World Federation of Societies for Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) and Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. For sports psychiatrists, this framework offers unique opportunities and challenges: athletes may excel in some lifestyle domains but neglect others critical for mental health. The Six Pillars Framework: Evidence and Application 1. Physical Activity: Beyond Training While athletes engage in high physical activity, the mental health benefits depend on how activity is structured. Meta-analyses show that structured exercise interventions reduce depressive symptoms with effect sizes comparable to antidepressants (standardized mean difference SMD 0.43–0.66)1,2. For athletes, the challenge involves optimizing existing activity for mental health benefits rather than prescribing additional exercise. Clinical Application: Integrate periodized mental health goals into training cycles, including mindful movement during recovery phases. 2. Nutritional Psychiatry in Athletes Randomized controlled trials, including the SMILES trial, demonstrate that dietary interventions can achieve remission in 32% of moderate-to-severe depression cases3. Mediterranean-style diets are consistently associated with lower depression risk (relative risk 0.67–0.91)4. Contrast with Standard Practice: Traditional sports nutrition emphasizes performance (macronutrient timing), whereas lifestyle psychiatry prioritizes anti-inflammatory foods, omega-3 fatty acids, and micronutrient density for mood regulation3,4. 3. Sleep as Primary Intervention Sleep disturbances affect 80–90% of those with major depressive disorder5. In athletes, even minor sleep deficits (<7 hours) increase injury risk 2.3-fold and delay recovery6. The bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health makes this pillar particularly critical. Evidence-Based Protocols: Sleep extension protocols (≥ 9 hours) show 12%7 improvement in athletic performance metrics. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) demonstrates superiority to sleep medications in athletes8. 4. Stress Management: Performance vs. Pathology Athletes face unique stressors, including public scrutiny and career uncertainty. Mindfulness and acceptance-based interventions show moderate-to-large effects (Cohen’s d 0.55–0.82) for reducing anxiety and improving well-being9. Implementation Strategy: Embed stress management within existing mental skills training, not as a separate intervention9. 5. Substance Use: Beyond Anti-Doping Lifestyle psychiatry addresses the full spectrum of substance use, including self-medication. Athletes have higher rates of alcohol use disorders (14–19%) than the general population10. Clinical Consideration: Screen for compensatory substance use during injury recovery and career transitions10. 6. Social Connections: Team vs. Authentic Relationships Despite team settings, athletes report loneliness rates of 33–45%, especially in individual sports. Social isolation doubles depression risk (odds ratio 2.03)12. Intervention Focus: Foster relationships beyond sport-specific roles to support identity and ease retirement transitions11,12. Contrasts with Standard Psychiatric Practice |
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| Example: At Stanford, comprehensive assessments include validated lifestyle tools (e.g., SIMPAQ for activity, PSQI for sleep)13. Care is collaborative, involving performance staff and stepped care:: Level 1: Lifestyle optimization for all athletes Level 2: Targeted interventions for at-risk individuals Level 3: Integrated lifestyle + traditional treatment for diagnosed conditions'
Outcomes Evidence Effectiveness: Mendelian randomization studies show each one-point increase in lifestyle score reduces depression risk by 35% (odds ratio 0.65)14. Implementation data: Early programs report up to 40% reduction in new mental health diagnoses when lifestyle screening is routine15. Athlete Preferences: 65% of athletes prefer lifestyle interventions as first-line treatment16. Cost-effectiveness: Multidisciplinary lifestyle interventions can be cost-neutral or cost-saving, with a ratio of up to 3:1 compared to traditional treatment alone17.
Future Directions and Gaps Research Gaps: More high-quality trials are needed on emerging domains (e.g., green space, social support interventions), and on long-term outcomes in athlete populations15. Implementation: Success depends on multidisciplinary collaboration and ongoing education for clinicians and coaches15.
Conclusion Lifestyle psychiatry in sports is an evidence-based evolution that addresses root causes and aligns with athletes’ performance mindsets. By integrating the six pillars into routine care, sports psychiatrists can promote sustainable mental health and resilience, complementing traditional treatments and supporting peak performance. References |
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| | Contribute to Future Issues |
| Interested in Contributing? We’re currently welcoming submission including to: Case Studies Interviews Research summaries Clinical insights Conference reports Book reviews Letters to the editor
If you’d like to get involved or join the newsletter team, reach out to our editor! |
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