Mental health in sport

Taking part in sport can have both a positive and negative influence on young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and we need to try and minimise the risks where possible.

Barriers in sport

There are certain barriers that young people experiencing mental health and wellbeing problems may find hard to overcome when taking part in sport. These include:

• body image issues – young people can feel worried about their physical appearance
• disordered eating or eating disorders – some young people experiencing these may be too physically unwell to take part, or performance pressures may be part of their illness
• social anxiety or isolation – young people might feel they can’t join in with other team members, despite wanting to take part in the sport itself
• the side effects of some medication can include things like excess sweating, lethargy, weight gain or weight loss

Unique stressors in sport

We know that there are some stressors that can affect young people that are unique to sport. These can be even more pronounced where high-performance sport is concerned.

Some of the things that should be taken into consideration are:

• pressure to perform and win
• pressure to please parents, carers or coaches
• comparisons with friends and teammates around ability, appearance or popularity
• maintaining, gaining, losing or ‘making’ weight to qualify or feel accepted in the sport
• strain of finding, maintaining or potentially losing sponsorship or contracts
• increased risks of online or cyber bullying, due to their raised profile
• dealing with media scrutiny and a lack of privacy
• balancing personal and professional commitments
• maintaining healthy relationships with friends
• coping with the transitions between grassroots to high-performance level sport, and into retirement, either planned or unplanned
• fear of injury and being put out of the game or forced to retire
• managing the emotional highs and lows of sporting careers
• sport being tied strongly with an individual’s identity – when young people leave sport they can feel a loss of this identity

Our safeguarding talented and elite athletes pages provide further information about the barriers young people in high-performance sport can face, and how these young people can be supported. 

Benefits of sport on mental health

Taking part in physical activity releases endorphins, which have a positive effect on our mental health and wellbeing. Being active can also give people a new focus, a sense of achievement, better sleep patterns and help build new relationships with others.

Mind has a guide about making physical activities inclusive to people experiencing mental health problems, which can help sports and activities make their sessions as accessible as possible.

There are several things that sports organisations can do to contribute towards the ongoing wellbeing of their participants, as well as supporting those experiencing mental health problems.

Creating a safe environment

Sports organisations should always aim to create environments where young people feel safe and supported. This could include:

• all staff being trained in basic mental health awareness, able to use the correct language and challenge discrimination
• all staff having a general understanding of the pressures that young people can face in competitive sport
• a welcoming, inclusive club that treats people from all races, faiths, genders and any other demographic markers, as an individual with their own needs
• safeguarding leads that feel confident they could identify and refer young people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings
• challenging and addressing poor negative, aggressive, racist, homophobic, transphobic or sexist bullying behaviour amongst young people
• staff that ask how young people feel about taking part, listen to their answers and offer help and support if needed
• being an organisation that respects members and their feelings
• a healthy competitiveness that embraces personal development as well as results or wins
• effective signposting, including promoting the details of mental health support services and making them available to young people, for example Childline
• staff that know where and how to raise any serious concerns about a young person’s wellbeing, including internal reporting procedures, the NSPCC helpline and the police – if they believe a young person is at an immediate risk of harm

Supportive coaching

A coach is likely to have more direct contact with young people than some of the other volunteers or staff involved in the sport or activity. As such, it's important that coaches have the support and skills needed to have a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the young people they are training.

Some ways to do this are to:

• seek an understanding of mental health and wellbeing, through training or research
• demonstrate a positive attitude towards talking and openness about issues such as mental health, diet, exercise and social interaction. Young Minds provide guidance on how to have a conversation with young people about mental health
• learn about the effects that mental health and wellbeing problems or treatment can have on a young person’s willingness or ability to take part
• listen to young people about what they feel capable of doing at different stages of their development and make changes where possible
• encourage physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle
• learn about strategies such as resilience and building self-esteem that can help young people with mental health problems to recover

Sport organisational policies

Part of creating a safe environment for young people means making sure that staff, volunteers, young people and parents all feel equipped to look after the mental health and wellbeing of those taking part in the sport.

You can do this by having clear policies in place, either supporting your safeguarding policy with a mental health and wellbeing statement, or adding mental health and wellbeing guidance into your existing safeguarding policy. Your policy statement must be seen in practice so ensure that your systems match what you say in your policy. 

This statement or policy should be promoted and made available to all. This should help to encourage young people with mental health and wellbeing problems to take up, or carry on, enjoying sport as part of an active lifestyle.  

Through this statement or policy your organisation can demonstrate your commitment to protecting the mental health and wellbeing of the young people taking part in your sport or activity and what that will look like in practice, including how to deal with concerns or reports of self-harm or suicidal thoughts and feelings.

A psychologically safe culture helps to create an environment where young people can thrive, even in a high-pressure environment.

What is psychological safety?

Safeguarding is all about keeping individuals safe and protected from harm, whether that be physical or emotional. An important part of keeping young people safe in sport involves creating an environment where mental health and wellbeing is prioritised and children can thrive.

In recent years, the importance of psychological safety in sport has started to become recognised.

Psychological safety helps to create a culture where trust and respect exists, so individuals don’t feel judged, and can be their true selves. In this kind of environment, people are more able to take risks, ask questions, put their own ideas and concerns forward, and acknowledge mistakes, all without fearing negative consequences. This can ultimately help people to maximise their potential, as they feel able to put themselves out there.

Why is psychological safety important in sport?

Sport can have an amazing impact on young people, but the environment can often be challenging, particularly for young people in high performance sport. Young people on the talent pathway may regularly have to compete against others, endure difficult training regimes, or find themselves under pressure. Sometimes, young people may also encounter poor leadership, team hostility, or challenging relationships.

Because of this, young athletes might be more susceptible to mental health problems like stress and anxiety.

A psychologically safe culture helps to create an environment where young people can thrive, even in a high-pressure environment. This can act as a protective factor for ill mental health, as well as contribute several benefits to wellbeing. For instance, it can:

• improve individual confidence and self-esteem
• reduce stress and burnout
• build a sense of community support and help prevent loneliness
• promote inclusion and value every voice
• encourage personal growth
• foster a culture where mental health is normalised and help-seeking is encouraged

What’s more, as well as positively impacting individual wellbeing, psychological safety can also benefit a team. When athletes in a team feel safe in their sporting environment, research shows there are higher levels of care and respect between teammates, better communication and trust, and an increased ability to make decisions under pressure. These traits build for more resilient, innovative, and adaptable teams.

Can psychological safety lead to better performance?

Although more research is needed, emerging evidence shows a positive relationship between psychological safety and overall performance. Athletes who feel safe are more likely to take risks, see mistakes as learning opportunities, communicate better with teammates and coaches, and raise concerns if they have any. As a result, overall performance may improve.

How can sports organisations develop a psychologically safe culture?

To create a psychologically safe culture in your club, think about leadership, communication, and team relationships. You can:

• promote open communication - give athletes clear expectations and boundaries, listen to their thoughts and ideas and create a sense of ‘we’ and ‘us’ amongst team members 
• emphasise wellbeing - have regular conversations around mental health and make time to talk to athletes about how they feel
• foster a sense of togetherness - discourage blaming each other, celebrate diversity and encourage people to be themselves
• adopt transformational leadership - empower athletes to work towards a team vision, take a child-centred approach to participation and coaching and lead by example
• promote growth - encourage people to take reasonable risks, use mistakes as learning opportunities and tell people what they did well

Download our poster on psychological safety to remind you and your organisation how to create culture of psychological safety and promote the wellbeing and performance of your athletes.

The following resources can help you to support children and young people's mental health and wellbeing. 

CPSU resources

• Addressing self-harming behaviour – briefing paper
• Addressing suicidal thoughts and feelings – briefing paper 
• Body image, weight management and disordered eating in sport – 5-part podcast mini-series
• Eating disorders and disordered eating – webinar
• Sample mental wellbeing statement – sample statement 
• Supporting young athletes with anxiety – briefing paper

NSPCC resources

• Child mental health – information from NSPCC Learning 
• NSPCC helpline (tel: 0808 800 5000) – if you’re worried about a child, even if you're unsure, contact the NSPCC’s professional counsellors for help, advice and support 

Support and resources for coaches, staff and volunteers

• UK Sports Institute – works with elite athletes to improve performance and athlete wellbeing
• Hungry for Gold videos – International Olympic Committee guidance about healthy body image
• Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation – from the Sport and Recreation Alliance with the support of Mind
• Mind Regional Networks – bring together organisations from across the sport, physical activity and mental health sectors  
• Sport, physical activity and mental health – guidance for sports providers from Mind
• Mental health and physical activity toolkit – from Mind 
• Mental health champions – a toolkit for the sport and activity sector from Mind  
• Conversation Guide: Talking to young people about mental health – from Mental Health UK 
• How to have a conversation with young people about mental health – from Young Minds 
• Building positive mental health – from Young Minds 
• Taking care of your staff – Mind 
• Tips for coaches video – Mind with UK Coaching and Public Health England
• Wellbeing resources for coaches – from UK Coaching
• A critical examination of children’s well-being and well-becoming in a professional youth football academy - Research article published August 2025 

Mental health awareness training

• Mental health awareness for sport and physical activity – from UK Coaching, Mind, 1st4Sport and Sport England.
• Rethink – mental health training 
• Zero Suicide Alliance – free suicide prevention training

Support services for children and young people

• Childline (tel: 0800 1111) – information and support line for young people
• Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) – information for young people
• Mind – Information for young people 
• Samaritans (tel: 116 123) – 24-hour confidential listening and support for anyone who needs it
• State of Mind Sport – support for athletes, and advice on taking care of your mental wellbeing
• Shout (text 'Shout' to 85258) – a place to go if you’re struggling to cope and you need immediate help
• The Mix (tel: 0808 808 4994) – information, support and listening line (24 hours) for people under 25
• Young Minds – information and sign-posting to mental health support for young people and parents