Mental health (MH) and well-being (WB) are increasingly recognized as important considerations in youth sport. Thissystematic review synthesized evidence on MH and WB outcomes in youth football players and examined associatedrisk and protective factors. A systematic search on Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus was conducted inJanuary 2025, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Eligible studies included young football players aged 12–19,employed validated MH or WB measures, and were published in English. Twenty-five studies (n = 7,123; 15.8þmale) met the inclusion criteria. Reported prevalence of elevated symptoms in included studies was 8-21% foranxiety, 6.5–40% for depression, up to 37% for distress, 17–30% for impaired WB, and 11-17% for disordered eating.Identified risk factors included female gender, older age, perfectionistic concerns, and disempowering coachingclimates, whereas protective factors included empowering climates, transformational leadership, harmoniouspassion, and satisfaction of basic psychological needs. The findings indicate that MH problems and impaired WB arecommon in youth football, underscoring the need for regular MH screening, coach education, psychological skillstraining, and multidisciplinary support structures. Further longitudinal and intervention studies, particularly involvingfemale players, are needed.
Mental Health and Well-Being in Youth Football Players – A Systematic Review
Gantima Praisan
Primo
;Camilla ScaramuzzaSecondo
;Faten Hamdi;Marika Berchicci;Maurizio BertolloUltimo
2026-01-01
Abstract
Mental health (MH) and well-being (WB) are increasingly recognized as important considerations in youth sport. Thissystematic review synthesized evidence on MH and WB outcomes in youth football players and examined associatedrisk and protective factors. A systematic search on Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus was conducted inJanuary 2025, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Eligible studies included young football players aged 12–19,employed validated MH or WB measures, and were published in English. Twenty-five studies (n = 7,123; 15.8þmale) met the inclusion criteria. Reported prevalence of elevated symptoms in included studies was 8-21% foranxiety, 6.5–40% for depression, up to 37% for distress, 17–30% for impaired WB, and 11-17% for disordered eating.Identified risk factors included female gender, older age, perfectionistic concerns, and disempowering coachingclimates, whereas protective factors included empowering climates, transformational leadership, harmoniouspassion, and satisfaction of basic psychological needs. The findings indicate that MH problems and impaired WB arecommon in youth football, underscoring the need for regular MH screening, coach education, psychological skillstraining, and multidisciplinary support structures. Further longitudinal and intervention studies, particularly involvingfemale players, are needed.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
