Athletes
Selection, injuries, transfers, end of career: high-level sport is full of moments when you feel alone. You are not the only one going through them.
What we see
A meta-analysis of 72 studies shows that elite athletes report symptoms of distress (33%), sleep disturbances (22%), depressive symptoms (18%) and anxiety symptoms (18%). These are self-reported symptoms, not diagnoses (Gouttebarge et al., 2026).
Distress affects 34.7% of female athletes, compared with 28.0% of men (Gouttebarge et al., 2026). In women's football, 57% of the players surveyed have experienced mental health difficulties, and half of them received no support from their club (FIFPRO, 2026).
At the start of a 12-month follow-up, 52.5% of 101 professional players based in Europe showed symptoms of distress. Injured players or those who had surgery were more likely to report distress during the follow-up (Pillay et al., 2024).
Among 262 players from five European countries, 37% of those without symptoms developed symptoms of anxiety or depression within a year. Overall, 95% of players believe these symptoms harm performance, and 84% consider the support insufficient (Gouttebarge et al., 2017).
What we bring
Regular or on request, to talk about what weighs on you, on and off the field.
Stress management, sleep, concentration, coming back after a bad spell.
From the diagnosis to the return to play, including the fear of re-injury.
Moving up an age group, not being kept on, transfer, moving abroad, end of career.
To share what you are going through with other athletes.
The benefits
Recognise your fatigue, your stress or a drop in morale, and ask for help before the situation gets worse.
A period when distress and the fear of re-injury weigh on the return to play.
Instead of being caught out by them, with a plan that doesn't depend on a single contract.
We work on factors identified by research, such as sleep and stress management.
A calmer career, and a well-prepared life after it.
We promise neither selection nor sporting results. We help you move forward with more resources.
Sources
Gouttebarge, V., Aoki, H., Verhagen, E. A. L. M., & Kerkhoffs, G. M. M. J. (2017). A 12-month prospective cohort study of symptoms of common mental disorders among European professional footballers. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 27(5), 487–492. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0000000000000388
Gouttebarge, V., Bilgoe, S. C., Gorczynski, P., Hitchcock, M. E., Putukian, M., Reardon, C. L., & Kerkhoffs, G. (2026). Supporting the IOC consensus statement on mental health in elite athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of mental health symptoms in elite sports. Sports, 14(7), Article 296. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports14070296
FIFPRO. (2026, October 12). Women’s players considering leaving game early for financial and mental health reasons, FIFPRO report finds. https://www.fifpro.org/en/articles/2026/10/womens-players-considering-leaving-game-early-for-financial-and-mental-health-reasons-fifpro-report-finds
Pillay, L., Janse van Rensburg, D. C., Ramkilawon, G., Andersen, T. E., Kerkhoffs, G., & Gouttebarge, V. (2024). Don’t forget to mind the mind: A prospective cohort study over 12 months on mental health symptoms in active professional male footballers. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 16, Article 214. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-024-01005-1
Discovery session · 45 minutes · free
A free 45-minute first conversation to understand your situation and see how we can support you.
