Key Points: Mental health (MH) symptoms and disorders, specifically depression and anxiety, are common in adolescent and young adult athletes. Sport medical staff (eg, athletic trainers/therapists and team physicians) can provide critical MH services to athletes and play an important role in education about MH conditions and their recognition, treatment, and prevention. Understanding the role of screening for MH conditions, as well as policies regarding MH plans and MH emergency action plans, is necessary for the sports medicine team. Abstract: Mental health (MH) symptoms and disorders are common in adolescents and young adults, and athletes may be at risk due to sport-specific triggers such as injury or illness as well as stressors related to performance, transition, or retirement from sport. Anxiety and depression are reported frequently in this age group, and early recognition and treatment can improve outcomes. The medical team (eg, athletic trainers or therapists, team physicians) should be familiar with the symptoms of depression and anxiety, recognize "red flags" for these symptoms and disorders, and seek to provide screening assessments and develop MH plans and MH emergency action plans. As a part of their scope of practice, team physicians should have the initial assessment and management of patients with these MH conditions and appreciate the importance of referrals to other MH providers with expertise caring for athletes. Athletic trainers are often the first point of contact for athletes who may be experiencing MH symptoms and therefore play a key role in early recognition and referrals to team physicians for early diagnosis and treatment. Additional resources that provide more in-depth information regarding the treatment and management of anxiety and depression are provided herein.
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