Socijalna psihijatrija, Vol. 54 No. 2, 2026.
Sažetak sa skupa
https://doi.org/10.24869/spsih.2026.143
A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body? The Mental Health of Croatian Athletes Through the Lens of SMHAT-1 Screening
Tomislav Franić
; Klinički bolnički centar Split, Split, Hrvatska; Medicinski fakultet, Sveučilište u Splitu, Split, Hrvatska
*
Katarina Šore
; Nastavni zavod za javno zdravstvo Splitsko-dalmatinske županije, Split, Hrvatska
Stipe Drmić
; Klinička bolnica Dubrava, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Frane Franić
; Medicinski fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Darko Marčinko
; Medicinski fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska; Klinički bolnički centar Zagreb, Zagreb, Hrvatska
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
Objective: Sport is traditionally associated with
physical and psychological health, but contemporary
research shows that competitive sport
can also be a significant source of psychological
strain. The aim of this paper is to present the results
of the Croatian implementation and validation
of the IOC’s SMHAT-1 system and to open
a discussion on the mental health of Croatian
athletes, especially adolescents and young adults.
Materials and methods: This paper is based on the
Croatian validation of the Athlete Psychological
Strain Questionnaire (APSQ-Cro) and on a study conducted among Croatian competitive athletes
as part of SMHAT-1 screening. Athletes from different
sports and levels of competition took part
in the studies, and standardized questionnaires
were used to assess psychological strain, anxiety,
depression, sleep disorders, ADHD, alcohol consumption,
and other mental health risks. Results:
The findings show a significant presence of symptoms
of anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and
psychological distress among Croatian athletes.
Gender differences are particularly pronounced,
with female athletes more often exceeding cutoff
values on scales for anxiety, depression, PTSD,
and risky alcohol consumption. The validation of
APSQ-Cro demonstrated good reliability of the
instrument and the existence of two dominant
dimensions of psychological strain: intrapersonal
psychological stress and stress related to the
sporting environment. Conclusion: The mental
health of athletes is an important public health
and clinical issue that goes beyond the stereotype
of sport as an exclusively protective factor.
Early recognition of psychological strain and the
development of accessible prevention and intervention
programs are essential for preserving the
mental health, sporting performance, and longterm
functioning of young athletes. The Croatian
validation of the SMHAT-1 tool is an important
step toward a more systematic approach to mental
health in sport.
Ključne riječi
mental health; athletes; adolescents; SMHAT-1; psychological stress
Hrčak ID:
352264
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.6.2026.
Posjeta: 0 *