The OCD & Anxiety in Athletes Special Interest Group brings together athletes, mental health professionals, coaches, and advocates dedicated to bridging the gap between sports performance and mental health. It focuses on the unique intersection of competitive athletics, OCD, perfectionism, and anxiety disorders, providing educational resources and promoting evidence-based treatment strategies tailored to athletic environments. The group also advances research and data collection to better understand the impact of performance-driven anxiety, inform emerging interventions, and track outcomes across competitive levels. Our mission is to reduce stigma, equip sports communities with actionable tools, and ensure athletes never have to choose between their mental well-being and high performance.
SIG Leadership:
Current & Future Initiatives:
- Expanding educational content and toolkits that help coaches (grassroots, high school, and collegiate), athletic trainers, and parents distinguish OCD from typical athletic perfectionism
- Partnering with collegiate and elite athletic programs to deliver proactive mental performance and OCD awareness workshops
- Creating downloadable digital resources and self-assessment tools for competitive environments
- Increasing resource accessibility for minority communities
- Developing guidance for coaches, parents, teammates, athletic trainers, and sports organizations on reducing accommodation of OCD while continuing to support athletes effectively
- Developing sport-specific clinical guidance for exposure and response prevention (ERP) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), including how to conduct exposure-based treatment around training, competition, injury, and performance demands
- Expanding online awareness and community-building efforts to reduce stigma, amplify athlete experiences, increase understanding of OCD and anxiety in sport, and connect athletes with supportive resources and one another
Accomplishments:
SIG leaders co-founded and launched the AnxietyinAthletes.org(opens in new tab) resource platform in partnership with the IOCDF; developed and hosted virtual and in-person support groups for student-athletes and young adults (ages 14–25) navigating OCD and performance anxiety; and delivered expert panel presentations and educational workshops at national conferences, universities, and IOCDF events.
About the Meetings
This SIG meets quarterly via Zoom to collaborate on resource development, content strategy, and upcoming initiatives. Members also gather in person each year for panel sessions, workshops, and networking meetups at the Annual OCD Conference.
Who can join: This SIG is open to current and former athletes, mental health clinicians, sports performance specialists, coaches, parents, and advocates interested in athlete mental health.