SynthesisThe American journal of sports medicine2023
The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental and Emotional Health of Athletes: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in The American journal of sports medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and sleep among healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Pooled it
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological aspects and mental health of elite soccer athletes: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Pooled it
- Patterns of change in athletic identity and mental health in elite Polish athletes with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: a 3-month longitudinal study.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Predictive Factors of Mental Health in Athletes from the Paralympic Preparation Program During Social Isolation: The Role of Sleep, Competitive Status, and Motivation.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Changes in physical fitness and body composition of athletes after the COVID-19 lockdown: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression, with assessment of the certainty of evidence.Biology of sport · 2026Review
- Article
- Progress and Prospects of Research on the Impact of Mental Health of Youth Sailors-A Bibliometric-Based Analysis.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- COVID-19 affected elite track-and-field athletes' Olympic preparation before Tokyo 2020 compared to Rio 2016.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Lived Experiences of Well-being of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 84 Student-Athletes in Bubble Training during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study.Acta medica Philippina · 2025Article
- The mental health and psychological wellbeing of South African athletes and coaches during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned from their health experience.South African journal of sports medicine · 2025Article
- Relationship Between Training Frequency and Training Session Duration on Vitality in Recreational Runners: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2024Article
- Motivational determinants of athletes' self-realisation depending on their professional qualification.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- It Takes a Team-Enhancing Student-Athlete Health and Well-Being through an Interprofessional Approach.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Depression Related to COVID-19, Coping, and Hopelessness in Sports Students.Brain sciences · 2024Article
- Supporting athletes during a challenging situation: recommendations from a global insight of COVID-19 home-based training experience.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Did social isolation affect anxiety and sleep quality of elite soccer players during the COVID-19 lockdown? Comparisons to training before distancing in the pandemic and outlook for mental health.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Comparative Study of the Long-Term Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Nutritional Practices Among International Elite and Sub-Elite Athletes: A Sample of 1420 Participants from 14 Countries.Sports medicine - open · 2023Article
- Short-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and return to sport on neuromuscular performance, body composition, and mental health - A case series of well-trained young kayakers.Journal of exercise science and fitness · 2023Article
- Effects of an 11-Week Detraining, Imposed by the COVID-19 Confinement, on Handball Players' Shoulder Rotator Isokinetic Profile, Shoulder Range of Motion, and Ball Release Velocity.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused the cancellation or postponement of virtually every sporting event, resulting in training disruptions, income loss, and career uncertainties for athletes around the world. At present, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and emotional health of athletes is not well understood. PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and emotional health of athletes and to identify risk factors associated with poor mental health outcomes. STUDY
designSystematic review; Level of evidence, 4.
methodsThe PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify all articles reporting on athletes' mental and emotional health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Articles were selected based on relevant inclusion and exclusion criteria. Study characteristics, athlete demographics, and COVID-19 mental health data (sex-, type of sport-, and level of play-specific differences) were collected from each included article and analyzed.
resultsA total of 35 studies were included in the final analysis, comprising athletes around the world and across numerous sports and levels of play. Most studies utilized at least 1 validated mental health questionnaire and assessed for outcomes such as depression, anxiety, stress, motivation, and athletic identity. Overall, athletes reported worse mental and emotional health during the COVID-19 pandemic, although these effects were attenuated by home training programs and quarantine training camps. Female sex and more elite levels of play were associated with an increased risk for poor mental health outcomes. Type of sport was associated with mixed results, with individual and team sports carrying different increased risks for poor mental and emotional health. Nearly all studies recommended the need for increased psychological support of athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
conclusionThe effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and emotional health of athletes is complex and multifaceted. Increased social interactions with coaches and teammates, continued access to training facilities and mental health professionals, and active utilization of healthy coping mechanisms can improve mental health outcomes for athletes in the era of COVID-19.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.