ABSTRACT
The need for providing more – and more comprehensive – mental health services for athletes and other sport populations is clear. Prevalence studies suggest that athletes and coaches experience psychological distress at rates likely to equal, if not surpass, those found in the general population. To meet their clients’ needs, clinical sport psychologists must consider how services should be deployed and the organizational models by which evidence-based mental health services for athletes may be provided. This chapter discusses models for delivering mental health services for athletes at different levels of sport participation from professional and Olympic athlete populations to youth sport and school settings. It also identifies the key variables to consider when designing a comprehensive mental health service for athletes. A case study involving clinical sport psychology services for a university athletic department is introduced to highlight ways of integrating athlete mental health into sports medicine at the collegiate level. Future directions for the delivery of mental health services for athletes and sport populations are discussed.
