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July 18, 2026British Journal of Sports MedicineOpen Access

IOC SMHAT2 provides a three-step tool to identify mental health symptoms in elite athletes.

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Population

Elite athletes (professional, Olympic, Paralympic or collegiate level; 16 years of age and older)

Design

Other

Key result

The IOC SMHAT2 was developed as a three-step tool to identify elite athletes potentially experiencing mental health symptoms and disorders.

Authors

VGVincent GouttebargeABAbhinav BindraCBCheri Blauwet

Discussion

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Overview

IOC SMHAT2 refines athlete mental health screening; leaves open prospective validation before routine adoption.

Key Points

  • The main aim is to develop and validate the IOC SMHAT2 for identifying mental health issues in elite athletes.
  • Seven development stages were conducted, including literature review and user feedback from IOC SMHAT-1.
  • The IOC SMHAT2 includes a three-step screening approach: universal screening, conditional screening, and clinical assessment aid.
  • Content validity and feasibility of IOC SMHAT2 were evaluated by sports medicine professionals.
  • The IOC SMHAT2 includes five disorder-specific screening questionnaires and two single questions for universal screening.
  • It identifies elite athletes (16 years and older) at risk for mental health symptoms and disorders.
  • The tool is designed for use by sports medicine physicians and licensed mental health professionals for effective clinical assessment.

Structured PICO

P
Population
Development of the IOC SMHAT2 tool for identifying elite athletes (≥16 years) potentially experiencing mental health symptoms and disorders.
E
Exposure
International Olympic Committee Sport Mental Health Assessment Tool 2 (IOC SMHAT2)
O
Outcome
Development, content validity and feasibility of the IOC SMHAT2

The IOC SMHAT2 provides an updated, evidence- and practice-based tool for sports medicine professionals to screen and assess mental health symptoms in elite athletes.

Cite This Study

Gouttebarge et al. (2026) studied Mental health symptoms and disorders. International Olympic Committee Sport Mental Health Assessment Tool 2 (IOC SMHAT2) was evaluated on Development, content validity and feasibility of the IOC SMHAT2. The IOC SMHAT2 was developed as a three-step tool to identify elite athletes potentially experiencing mental health symptoms and disorders.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a5b195c18557b26c203af52https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2025-111408
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