Xu Elaine, Greif Dylan N, Castle Patrick, Lander Sarah
School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
J Clin Med. 2025 Jun 17;14(12):4321. doi: 10.3390/jcm14124321.
Youth sport participation provides undeniable physical, emotional, and social benefits. However, the current landscape of pediatric athletics has shifted toward early sports specialization (ESS), year-round training, and heightened competitive pressures. This has led to an increased prevalence of overuse-related traumatic injuries in adolescent patients, as well as increased risk of worsening mental health due to burnout, depression, suicide, and general psychological distress. There are numerous innovations and solutions aimed at addressing the increased risk of injury associated with current sporting trends, such as neuromuscular training programs, delayed specialization, promotion of free play, and pediatric specific surgical techniques mindful of future growth, such as those seen for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R). However, the social factors associated with an injury remain problematic and are not adequately addressed; these include social isolation, depression, anxiety, and academic decline. Sport psychology is a promising solution to address many risk factors associated with poor performance, address the challenges associated with injury, and increase return-to-play in adolescent sports medicine. Integrating sport psychology into pediatric sports medicine offers the ability to directly address the emotional and cognitive demands of injury and recovery. Emphasizing mental health support and redefining success in youth sports-prioritizing enjoyment, personal growth, and long-term health over scholarships and professional aspirations-are key steps in preserving the overall benefits of pediatric sport participation. Yet sport psychology remains often underutilized and has been slow to gain traction, particularly in youth sports. This editorial serves to highlight the current state of mental health advocacy in pediatric sports medicine and how sport psychology can help young athletes manage the mental stress of high-performance athletics and mitigate the detrimental effect of injury and delayed return to sport.
青少年参与体育运动能带来不可否认的身体、情感和社会效益。然而，当前儿科体育的格局已转向早期专项运动（ESS）、全年训练以及竞争压力加剧。这导致青少年患者中与过度使用相关的创伤性损伤患病率上升，同时因倦怠、抑郁、自杀和一般心理困扰而导致心理健康恶化的风险也增加。有许多创新和解决方案旨在应对当前体育趋势带来的受伤风险增加问题，例如神经肌肉训练计划、延迟专项化、推广自由玩耍以及考虑到未来生长的儿科特定手术技术，如前交叉韧带重建（ACL - R）中所见的技术。然而，与受伤相关的社会因素仍然存在问题且未得到充分解决；这些因素包括社会孤立、抑郁、焦虑和学业成绩下降。运动心理学是一个有前景的解决方案，可解决与表现不佳相关的许多风险因素，应对与受伤相关的挑战，并增加青少年运动医学中的重返赛场率。将运动心理学融入儿科运动医学能够直接应对受伤和康复过程中的情感和认知需求。强调心理健康支持并重新定义青少年体育运动中的成功——将享受、个人成长和长期健康置于奖学金和职业抱负之上——是保留儿科体育参与总体益处的关键步骤。然而，运动心理学仍然经常未得到充分利用，且在获得认可方面进展缓慢，尤其是在青少年体育运动中。这篇社论旨在突出儿科运动医学中心理健康倡导的现状，以及运动心理学如何帮助年轻运动员应对高水平竞技运动的心理压力，并减轻受伤和延迟重返运动的不利影响。
