ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to provide an overview of some of the more common mental health problems child and adolescent athletes face, indicated interventions, and future directions for research and practice. This chapter is informed by the literature on clinical sport psychology and written for an audience of coaches who have a front-row seat to youth performance and development and can be a critical mental health referral source. This chapter will focus primarily on sport-related anxiety, depression, disordered eating, and substance misuse. We review the range of symptoms and experiences that fall under each of these categories and consider how they present in childhood and adolescence. Youth athletes may show early signs of dysfunctional behaviors that could escalate if not caught early and treated. Interactions within and around sports might be a causal factor and/or a consequence of youth disorder. Regardless, coaches can be taught to identify those early signs of dysfunction, sensitively and competently broach the subject with athletes and their caregivers, and refer youth athletes to appropriate mental health services. Although this chapter will include general findings and treatment recommendations for youth athletes, we implore readers to treat each child and adolescent as a unique individual whose diverse background may require a tailored approach to assessment, interaction, and treatment. Depending on the path coaches take, they can be a catalyst for mental health or disorders. We hope the former, and we believe that this chapter can help achieve that outcome.
