ABSTRACT
Sport and performance psychology consultants and other mental health professionals should be aware that athletes and other performers are susceptible to experiencing clinical issues, and that not all health problems are due to, or related to the client’s participation in sport or high-level performance. In addition to reducing the barriers which athletes and performers face when seeking help for clinical issues, practical approaches have been put forward to provide frameworks for mental health professionals working with elite populations. Athletes have reported experiencing depression at similar or increased levels compared to the general population. Helping athletes deal with clinical mental health problems has gathered much attention in recent popular media as increasingly more high-profile athletes and performers openly share their struggles with these issues. Athletes, exercisers and performers may lack sufficient motivation to change a behavior or to enter into, engage in, adhere to or remain in psychological services.
