Sport and Citizenship No. 61 — Mental health at the heart of sport
The latest issue of the journal Sport et Citoyenneté is now available. Issue 61 is devoted to a topic that has become a pressing collective concern: the link between sport and mental health.
In France, 13 million people are affected by a mental health condition every year. Across Europe, the cost of mental health issues exceeds €600 billion. These figures can no longer be dismissed as mere background statistics; they call for action. In this context, sport and physical activity emerge as powerful, accessible and scientifically recognised tools for preventing psychological distress, supporting care pathways and strengthening social bonds.
This issue builds on the discussions from the Citizens’ Sport Conferences held in December 2025 and is fully aligned with the 2025–2026 National Mental Health Initiative. The time for awareness-raising alone is over: we must now turn awareness into collective action.
In this issue, an exclusive interview with European Commissioner Glenn Micallef, who outlines the EU’s priorities for sport and mental health for 2026. French Minister for Sport Marina Ferrari discusses the 2025–2030 National Sport and Health Strategy, whilst Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, President of the CNOSF, presents the joint action plan launched to protect elite athletes. Voices such as those of Yohann Diniz and Cécile Traverse, a sports psychologist, speak candidly about the pressures athletes face and what needs to change.
The feature explores every aspect of the subject: the role of sports clubs in the early detection of mental health issues among young people, the experience of the Sport-Health Centres dedicated to mental health, European prevention initiatives led by organisations such as ISCA or NéoHéros, and the challenges of chronic diseases analysed by Novo Nordisk.
The Sport & Society section looks at hybrid funding in sport, the role of physical activity in urban areas, volunteering as a strategic resource, and the environmental commitment championed by MAIF. Round off your reading with our ‘Sport and Citizenship in Action’ section, which expands on the themes of this issue by showcasing concrete projects led by Sport and Citizenship, from youth engagement with PLAYER to the conclusion of our OSES project and its findings on preserving marine air through sport!
A substantial issue, rooted in reality, bringing together researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and sportspeople around a shared conviction: sport can and must be a pillar of mental health. Provided we give it the means to do so.
Enjoy the read.
