When we speak about preparing athletes for competition, the conversation often revolves around physical fitness, technical ability, nutrition, and injury prevention. But what about the mind that must execute everything the body has been trained to do?

On September 18, 2026, an article by Rosemary Purcell, published in The Conversation, highlighted the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) renewed call for mental health screening in elite sport. The article follows the IOC’s updated 2026 consensus statement, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which recommends routine mental health screening and monitoring using validated instruments. As I read the article, I reflected on work we had already undertaken at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona.

An initiative worth recognising

Ahead of the recently concluded 2026 UWI Games, Dr Aldeam Facey, head of the Mona Academy of Sport, requested that I undertake some form of psychological assessment of our student-athletes in preparation for competition. As the sport and performance psychologist of the Mona Academy of Sport, I welcomed the opportunity to move beyond conversations about mental toughness and develop something practical, measurable, and responsive to the demands of university sport.

I subsequently designed a Psychological Readiness Assessment examining six dimensions: competitive confidence, focus and competition control, emotional control/regulation, anxiety, motivation and competitive mindset, team cohesion, and travel and adaptation readiness.

The assessment also allowed athletes to communicate concerns in their own words, recognising that a questionnaire should never replace the human experience behind the responses. The main intention behind this was to understand how psychologically prepared our athletes were before they entered the competitive environment and identify areas requiring additional support.

Dr Facey’s request created the opportunity for an important intervention, and the resulting assessment demonstrated how sport psychology can contribute meaningfully to institutional athlete preparation.

The distinction in the IOC’s recommendation

There is an important distinction between the assessment developed for the UWI Games and what the IOC is advocating. Our instrument examined psychological readiness for performance. The IOC recommends validated clinical screening approaches capable of identifying possible mental health symptoms and disorders requiring further professional assessment. One asks how prepared is this athlete to perform? The other asks whether there are indications of psychological difficulties that may require clinical attention. These are complementary, but they are not interchangeable. The IOC recommends screening at the beginning of competitive seasons, following major competitions, after significant injuries and during transitions out of sport. It is important to note that screening should facilitate support, not become another mechanism for excluding athletes from competition.

Where do we go from here?

If we can assess an athlete’s speed, endurance, body composition, and physical readiness, why should psychological readiness and mental health remain largely dependent on whether someone notices a problem? I propose that Jamaica move towards a structured national athlete psychological assessment and mental health monitoring framework, beginning with our national teams and extending progressively to collegiate and school-based sport. Such a framework should incorporate pre-competition psychological readiness assessments, validated mental health screening, post-competition follow-ups, and clear referral pathways. It must also protect confidentiality and recognise that performance difficulties are not automatically mental health disorders.

My research on mattering and the post-championship experiences of Caribbean elite athletes has reinforced another important consideration: Psychological support cannot end when the competition does. Who checks on the athlete after the medals have been distributed, the trophies have been won, the celebrations have ended, and the crowd has gone home? In Jamaica, we have invested tremendously in developing athletic talent; we must now be equally intentional about developing systems that support the people behind that talent.

The work undertaken at The UWI, Mona offers one practical starting point. The IOC’s latest recommendations provide further international guidance for extending that work. We have spent decades preparing athletes to compete. It is time we become equally deliberate about preparing, supporting, and protecting the human beings who compete.

Dr Olivia Rose is a sport and performance psychologist at The University of the West Indies, Mona; researcher; and author of Mattering in Caribbean Sport.