The Role of Executive Functions in Elite Athletes' Mental Health

Interest in athletes’ executive function, an umbrella term encompassing an array of complex cognitive processes that enable flexible goal-directed behaviour in real time, has increased significantly over the past decade and is the focus of the current chapter. The relationship between executive function and mental health is complex, contingent upon developmental processes (e.g., lifespan perspectives), and influenced by similar covariates (e.g., physical activity), which are highly relevant to elite level athletes (e.g., both impact on sport performance). Whilst empirical investigation of the executive function and mental health relationship in sport is lacking, the paucity of available literature is limited in theoretical approach and methodological consistency, making consensus difficult. Nonetheless, in the current chapter, we attempt to clarify the available literature by defining executive function, reviewing measurement and related issues, examining research on executive function of elite athletes, discussing the impact of executive function on mental health and vice versa, and provide some recommendations for practitioners and future directions for researchers interested in the relationship between executive function and mental health in elite-level athletes.