Published on 21 October 2025

Mental health in performance sport

The Department of Sports Psychology at the SFISM is the national centre of excellence for mental health in performance sport. Its aim is to better understand the mental health of athletes through research and to effectively integrate this knowledge into the Swiss sports system.

Mental health encompasses both the absence of illnesses such as depression and anxiety as well as the presence of well-being. For a long time, the myth persisted that top athletes were always doing well – their mental health was never questioned. Research studies and statements made by elite athletes have now clearly shown that mental health problems are just as common in elite sport as they are in the general population. It is time that mental health in performance sport also receives the attention it deserves.

Research projects and studies

Projects funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) on mental health in performance sport:

• Understanding and promoting mental health of competitive athletes - six empirical studies (2022–2024), Swiss National Science Foundation
• From a Pyramid to a Square in Understanding Youth Athletes’ Mental Health (2025–2029), Swiss National Science Foundation

Studies have shown that...

• ... many athletes in Switzerland are affected by symptoms of mental illness and sleep problems.

  • The Mental Health of Swiss Elite Athletes, swiss psychology open
  • Sleep Difficulties in Swiss Elite Athletes, mdpi

• ... there is potential to improve mental health in the Swiss sports system.

  • Measures to protect and promote elite athletes’ mental health in Swiss sports, hogrefe eContent

• ... organisations could better implement measures to promote mental health.

  Study under review

• ... self-compassion is an important resource for athletes making the transition from junior to elite level – after sport-related setbacks, during the rehabilitation process and in general.

  • Factors contributing to elite athletes’ mental health in the junior-to-senior transition: A mixed methods study, ScienceDirect
  • Associations of self-compassion with shame, guilt, and training motivation after sport-specific daily stress – a smartphone study, Taylor and Francis Online

• ... elite athletes’ sleep quality can be improved.

  • A Guided Digital Sleep Intervention to Improve Sleep Among Elite Athletes: A Feasibility Study, The Sport Psychologist

• ... there are ways to support injured athletes’ well-being in daily life.

  • How is affective well-being related to need satisfaction and frustration across rehabilitation in injured athletes? Findings from an intensive longitudinal study, ScienceDirect

• ... coaches can also experience depression and burnout.

  • Six-month stability of individual differences in sports coaches’ burnout, self-compassion and social support, ScienceDirect

Contributions to knowledge transfer

• Various courses as part of the Sports Coach Education Switzerland programme and the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree courses at the SFISM
• Brochure on mental health for athletes, Swiss Olympic (de, fr)
• Online course for coaches to strengthen their mental health skills
• Training module for Y+S coaches on mental health, National Sports Database (NDS)
• Podcast series on mental health in performance sport, spotify (de)
• Webinar: Well-being in competitive sport, SFISM
• DAS in Sports Psychology, SASP training