What a new occupational science study reveals about grit, gender, and burnout in youth elite sport
In 2023, the International Olympic Committee formally labeled youth elite athletes a "neglected population" and called for more research into their wellbeing. The Flinders/Adelaide youth athlete study, which ran from 2017 to 2020, answered part of that call, according to Olympic Dreams May Cost Young Athletes Their Mental Health.
The practical tension is not whether the ambition matters. It is whether the environment that consumes a teenager's time, demands early relocation, and treats performance as a commodity still leaves room for mental health. Burnout and depression look different enough that early warning signs often hide behind the word dedication, exactly when sports psychology interventions for burnout matter.
The International Olympic Committee published a 2023 consensus statement in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (September 2023) focused on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport.1 That document is frequently linked to the claim that youth elite athletes are a "neglected population," but the exact wording and context were not available in the sources reviewed here. Instead of relying on secondary commentary, readers can find the official statement and related priorities directly.
Start with specific phrases such as "IOC 2023 consensus statement youth elite athletes neglected population" or "IOC research priorities youth athletes." Use IOC.org's search and filter by "consensus statements" to locate the 2023 REDs paper and the 2024 youth athlete consensus. The 2024 statement names four focus areas: reviewing eligibility criteria including age requirements, assessing risk at Olympic and Youth Olympic Games, building a human rights framework for youth athletes, and producing the consensus statement itself.2
Check the IOC website for official consensus statements and research priorities. Compare any "neglected population" wording against the 2023 REDs document, the 2024 youth athlete statement, and the older child athlete consensus, which notes elite child athletes have distinct social, emotional, and physical needs.2 For U.S. participation and injury data, search BLS.gov and school district or university athletics websites. Professional groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Sports Medicine, and National Athletic Trainers' Association publish youth athlete welfare guidance rooted in Youth Sports Psychology that you can cross-check. To confirm whether a claim is official, look for the statement's journal, publication date, and listed authors. Contact youth sports administrators or request public records from state athletic associations if a policy reference is unclear.
The Olympic pathway often asks a teenager to trade ordinary adolescent rhythms for a single-minded pursuit, or early sport specialization, and the tradeoff becomes visible in how athletes spend their hours and where they live.
Qualitative interviews from the Young People in Sport project (Flinders University, 2017-2020) found elite sport consumed hours peers used for study, part-time work, hobbies, and socialising.1 Training, competition, travel, and recovery filled the week, leaving little room for an identity outside the athlete role.
Promising athletes often moved away from home during adolescence to access better coaching, facilities, or selection opportunities. That disruption separated them from familiar routines and support networks just as they were forming a sense of who they were beyond sport.
Athletes described being valued for results and potential rather than as whole people. That framing affected how they understood their worth and whether they felt safe admitting difficulty.
Family, friends, coaches, and partners acted as protective forces, helping athletes preserve a sense of self beyond performance. The study identified six occupational-balance factors overall1, though only these recurring themes are consistently described in public reporting; two additional factors surfaced but are not clearly named. Practitioners can use this lens at intake, drawing on holistic sports psychology, asking about weekly time load, relocation timing, whether the athlete feels valued as a person, and who supports them outside performance, rather than starting with grit or motivation.
How do I know if my child athlete is burned out or depressed? The symptoms overlap, but timing and scope point in different directions.
Youth Sports Burnout usually appears as emotional and physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, and cynicism toward the sport itself. Depression is broader: persistent low mood and loss of interest that reach beyond training and competition. Performance anxiety is more situation-specific, a fear-driven response tied to tryouts, mistakes, or evaluation settings.
Normal competitive stress is intense but brief and tied to specific events. A clinical concern lasts at least two weeks, shows up across settings, and interferes with daily function.
Concrete signs parents and coaches often miss: - Sleep disruption that lasts more than a couple of weeks, not just the night before a meet. - A sudden performance drop paired with withdrawal from teammates or family. - Irritability outside training that was not there before. - Loss of enjoyment even after wins, with praise feeling hollow or unimportant.
Overtraining and early sport specialization amplify these signals. High training loads limit recovery and reduce identity outside sport, so what looks like a slump can be early burnout or depression. When these patterns persist, a licensed sport psychologist can provide athlete mental health support and help distinguish what the behavior is actually signaling.
About 35% of elite athletes experience mental health symptoms including anxiety, depression, and burnout, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. This suggests mental health struggles are systemic in high-performance sport, not rare exceptions, and supports screening young athletes on Olympic pathways.
Parents often imagine a screening as a single test, but in practice these tools are usually short questionnaires or structured conversations used during preseason, after an injury, or when something feels off. The goal is to catch concerns early and make return-to-play decisions that include psychological readiness, not just physical clearance.
| Tool/Protocol | What It Measures | Typical Use | Who Administers It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport Mental Health Assessment Tool 1 (SMHAT-1) | Early identification of elite athletes aged 16 and older who may be at risk for, or already experiencing, mental health symptoms and disorders. | A three-step screening process using a sport-specific triage questionnaire, six disorder-specific screening tools, and clinical assessment as part of regular mental health screening in elite sport settings. | Sports medicine physicians and other licensed or registered health professionals such as psychiatrists or psychologists. |
| Sport Mental Health Recognition Tool 1 (SMHRT-1) | Recognition of possible mental health symptoms or disorders in elite athletes by identifying signs that warrant help-seeking or referral. | Used by an athlete's entourage to recognize potential mental health problems and support referral, including after time away from training or competition. | Athletes and their entourage, including friends, fellow athletes, family members, and coaches. |
| Injury Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport Scale (I-PRRS) | An athlete's confidence and psychological readiness to return to sport following a concussion or other injury. | Used during return-to-play decision making in high-performance sport to formally assess confidence to return to high-risk sport participation. | Completed as a self-report questionnaire by the athlete, interpreted by healthcare providers or rehabilitation staff in return-to-play protocols. |
| CCAPS-Screen (student-athlete mental health screening) | Psychological stress and mental health concerns in student-athletes, including symptoms of distress that may impact functioning. | Used annually and at key points such as preseason and post-injury or return-to-play to screen collegiate student-athletes. | Administered within collegiate athletic programs under NCAA mental health best-practice guidelines by institutional health or counseling services. |
| IOC Mental Health in Elite Athletes Toolkit (screening guidance) | Mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes, with emphasis on recognizing problems and supporting safe and supported return to play after physical or mental health-related absence. | Provides guidance for incorporating regular mental health screenings into athlete health check-ups and for planning safe return-to-play following time away for physical or mental health reasons. | Implemented by sports organizations, medical teams, and support staff to guide policies and practices in elite sport environments. |
| Youth sport concussion return-to-play protocol (CBIRT) | Resolution of concussion-related symptoms at rest and with exertion, including mental exertion in school, to determine readiness for progressive return to physical activity and competition. | Applied as a stepwise protocol from cognitive rest and return to school through graded exercise to full contact practice and game play, progressing only when the youth athlete remains asymptomatic. | Managed by a concussion management team with written clearance from a licensed healthcare provider; youth sports organizations are advised to have such a team in place. |
| High-performance sport-related concussion guidelines (COPSIN-HP) | Clinical and psychological readiness for unrestricted training and competition, including symptom resolution, neurological status, and athlete confidence to return to high-risk activity. | Used to guide staged return to unrestricted training and competition after concussion in high-performance athletes, recommending formal assessment of confidence with I-PRRS or similar scale. | Applied by team physicians and high-performance sport medical staff responsible for concussion management and return-to-play decisions. |
Parents and coaches often ask whether a struggling athlete needs clinical care or performance coaching. The deciding factor is scope of practice and legal authority, not whether the provider has worked with athletes before. To vet a provider, ask whether they hold a current state psychology license, ask about sport-specific training such as APA proficiency or ABSP certification, and confirm they will refer out for clinical concerns.
| Question | Licensed Sport Psychologist | Mental Performance Coach (CMPC) |
|---|---|---|
| What credential is required? | A doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in psychology plus a state psychology license. Only this path allows the title psychologist. | Typically a master's or doctoral degree in sport science, kinesiology, or a related field. CMPC certification alone does not make someone a sport psychologist. |
| Can this professional diagnose and treat mental health conditions? | Yes. State licensure authorizes psychotherapy, diagnosis, treatment, and formal psychological assessment. | No. Without a separate mental health license, a CMPC cannot diagnose, treat, or provide psychotherapy for clinical conditions. |
| What is the typical focus? | Full spectrum from performance routines to clinical eating disorders, as long as the work is within the psychologist's demonstrated competence. | Mental skills training, including composure after mistakes, effective practice goals, communication under pressure, and confidence building. |
| When is this provider the right referral? | When symptoms suggest depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm risk, or when the athlete needs psychotherapy or formal assessment. | When concerns are purely performance-focused, such as focus, confidence, routines, or communication. Refer out if clinical symptoms appear. |
| What scope-of-practice rule applies? | APA Ethical Principles require practicing within competence. If needs fall outside that competence, referral or consultation is ethically indicated. | The AASP ethics code requires CMPCs to recognize limits of clinical competence and refer athletes with mental health symptoms to a licensed professional. |
