Special Topics - Elite Sport Mental Health

young female boxer punching a bag on a sports training in a gym.

Combat sports and mental health – an overview

09/29/2026 No Comments

In combat sports medicine, we rightly place enormous attention on concussions. Outside of a clear knockout, it’s important to be able to spot them and stop the fight in time, so that the fighter is not exposed to more concussions and other injuries. But there’s a piece of the conversation that often gets left out: mental health. As a sports psychiatrist, I’d argue that mental health is one of the most practical indicators we have of brain health. In combat sports, the two are tightly linked.

portrait of mountain biker with helmet and sunglasses listening to music and smiling.

Travel and sports performance, part 2: Acclimating

07/12/2026 No Comments

How to minimize the effects of traveling
on sleep and performance — some practical pointers on how athletes can minimize the effects of jetlag and other travel risks.

sportsman lying in a concrete soccer court

Travel and sports performance, part 1: Sleep

07/11/2026 No Comments

Athletes, like anybody else, are affected by disruptions in sleep due to travel. What happens to the body when jet lag ensues, and how do athletes deal with this when there is so much at stake when competing?

little girl figure skater in a light pink tracksuit with a smile skates on the ice on an indoor skating rink.

Mental health impact of early specialization in athletes

02/08/2026 No Comments

Mental health impact of early specialization in athletes Does focusing on one sport at a young age affect the psychological development of athletes over their lives? Disclaimer – the information

Round Zero: a proposal for the regular mental health screening of Combat Sport Athletes

11/12/2025 No Comments

The importance of creating an effective and efficient mental health screening process for combat sports athletes, that can easily be applied to various typical combat sports settings.

What is RED-S and why do we need to know about it?

09/14/2025 No Comments

It is important to know about REDs or Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, condition caused by low energy availability, where an athlete’s energy intake is insufficient to meet the demands of exercise and essential physiological functions. Having low energy affects performance, mental, and physical health in multiple ways. Many athletes may be suffering from it but are unaware.