The topic of athlete mental health has received a lot of attention in the media, and I have personally witnessed the growing demand for professional mental health treatments across all levels of sports. Working with NBA, MLB, and NFL players as a Concierge Sports & Performance Psychiatrist has allowed me to see firsthand the positive effects that seeing a sports psychiatrist can have on an athlete’s overall well-being. Athletes put in the work not only in their careers but also in their personal lives as they develop coping mechanisms and appropriate boundary-setting skills with others.
When treating mental health issues in athletes, a multidisciplinary approach is frequently used. Key experts in this field typically include sports psychiatrists, mental performance coaches, sport & performance psychologists, counselors, and others. Adam Loiacono, PT, DPT, CSCS, former director of rehabilitation for the NBA Phoenix Suns, states that “integrating a sports psychiatrist in a team environment dramatically enhances the success of both athletes and the high-performance teams that support them.”
A sports psychiatrist: what is it?
Sports psychologists frequently collaborate with sports teams or organizations as well as individual athletes. A sports psychiatrist can offer a wide range of services when they are hired by a professional sports club, such as workshops, education, emergency action planning, policy formulation, and individual counseling. Athletes may benefit from medication, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes as treatment approaches.
According to David R. McDuff, M.D., author of Sports Psychiatry: Strategies for Life Balance & Peak Performance and member of the International Olympic Committee Mental Health Working Group, “Sports psychiatrists are vital members of the sports medicine and performance team with broad responsibility for the integrated management of the general health and mental wellbeing of athletes, coaches, team staff, and their family members.”
How is a sports psychiatrist trained?
A sports psychiatrist is a psychiatrist with additional training and expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders among athletes, while a psychiatrist is a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathic medicine who specializes in “diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders,” according to the American Psychiatrist Association.
What are a sports psychiatrist’s main responsibilities?
Sports psychiatrists evaluate and diagnose mental health issues in athletes, with a focus on mood disorders, anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, substance abuse disorders, and eating disorders. Victor Schwartz, M.D., Senior Associate Dean for Wellness and Student Life at CUNY School of Medicine, states that “the accurate assessment of problems and diagnoses needs to take into account the unique stressors and contours of life of the elite athlete.” Following an evaluation, treatment options could include prescription drugs, psychotherapy, and suggestions for different lifestyle changes.
Treatment choices must take into account factors including care flexibility, when to conduct drug trials, and a patient’s unique sensitivity to side effects from medications that may not bother the average person but severely disturb professional athletes, according to Schwartz. I have witnessed the harm that may result from a psychiatrist who is not qualified or knowledgeable in sports psychiatry treating an athlete. There are a lot of details to take into account, like laws pertaining to banned substances and how prescription drugs may affect an athlete’s ability to perform.
