SFISM study aims to better understand young athletes' mental health
Bern, 28.11.2025 — A new research project by the Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen (SFISM) will examine the mental health of young performance athletes in Switzerland over several years, starting in 2025. The focus will not only be on those who make it to the top, but also on those who leave the performance sport system prematurely.
Young people's mental health is particularly vulnerable during the sensitive developmental phase between the ages of 14 and 19. In performance sports, additional stresses such as selection pressure, injuries and uncertainty about one's sporting future can exacerbate this vulnerability.
The SFISM project, ‘From a Pyramid to a Square in Understanding Youth Athletes’ Mental Health (2025–2029)', funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, examines risk factors such as selection pressure and protective factors such as self-compassion, parental support, and the mental health competence of sports organisations. Special emphasis is being placed on the effects of deselection and premature withdrawal from performance sport.
All athletes in focus
Since summer 2025, researchers from the Sports Psychology Department at the SFISM have been monitoring all Swiss Olympic cardholders born in 2008 and 2010 over a period of three years. Changes are recorded twice a year using online questionnaires. In-depth interviews are also conducted with young people who are leaving the performance sport system. Participation is voluntary for young people.
The findings will be used to develop specific support measures and prevention strategies. Recommendations for policymakers and sports organisations are being developed to create a more sustainable and healthier sports system in which young people continue to receive broad support, even after they leave the performance sport system.
The project aims to make an important contribution to promoting mental health in youth sport and establish a scientific basis for a more inclusive understanding of sporting success.