20-21 September 2025
South Hall, 18 Holyrood Park
Rd, Edinburgh
EH16 5AU
about
Leading the Conversation on Mental Health in Elite Sport: Groundbreaking Science, Global Experts, and Real-World Impact
The mental health of elite athletes is a crucial conversation now more than ever. With growing awareness, increasing demands, and mounting evidence linking mental well-being to performance, injury prevention, and recovery, the sporting world is taking notice. PROMISE conference is one of the first to focus exclusively on mental health in elite sport, addressing everything from early detection to long-term support. Everyone involved in an athlete’s journey – from coaches to governing bodies – has a role to play in fostering a supportive culture, reducing stigma, and ensuring athletes feel empowered to seek help. This in- person event will bring together world-leading experts, with a programme constructed by key members of the IOC Mental Health Leadership Group—Dr. Brian Hainline, Prof. Margo Mountjoy, Prof. Vincent Gottebarge, Dr. Alan Currie, Dr. Claudia Reardon, and Prof. Ron Maughan – who have played a pivotal role in advancing global awareness, scientific research, and best practices in mental health and sport.
Following the second IOC Consensus Meeting on Mental Health, attendees will gain exclusive insight into its implications and outcomes. The PROMISE conference will feature a superstar lineup of international speakers presenting the latest cutting-edge scientific research and practical strategies for diagnosing, managing, and preventing mental health disorders in elite athletes. Attendees will leave equipped with actionable tools to implement immediately with their athletes, team, or sporting organisation. Beyond the presentations, PROMISE offers an opportunity for meaningful discussions, networking, and engagement with world-leading experts and clinicians.
The Protecting Mental Health in Sport + Exercise Conference is essential for licensed mental health professionals, physicians (psychiatrists, sports medicine, primary care), allied health professionals, team doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, and anyone within an athlete’s support network. By attending, you will gain the tools to recognise and address mental health concerns, create a culture of care, and ultimately contribute to athlete well-being and performance.
EARLY BIRD PRICING ENDS JUNE 3OTH
about
Leading the Conversation on Mental Health in Elite Sport: Groundbreaking Science, Global Experts, and Real-World Impact
The mental health of elite athletes is a crucial conversation now more than ever. With growing awareness, increasing demands, and mounting evidence linking mental well-being to performance, injury prevention, and recovery, the sporting world is taking notice. PROMISE conference is one of the first to focus exclusively on mental health in elite sport, addressing everything from early detection to long-term support. Everyone involved in an athlete’s journey – from coaches to governing bodies – has a role to play in fostering a supportive culture, reducing stigma, and ensuring athletes feel empowered to seek help. This in- person event will bring together world-leading experts, with a programme constructed by key members of the IOC Mental Health Leadership Group – Dr. Brian Hainline, Prof. Margo Mountjoy, Prof. Vincent Gouttebarge, Prof. Alan Currie, Dr. Claudia Reardon, and Prof. Ron Maughan – who have played a pivotal role in advancing global awareness, scientific research, and best practices in mental health and sport.
Following the second IOC Consensus Meeting on Mental Health, attendees will gain exclusive insight into its implications and outcomes. The PROMISE conference will feature a superstar lineup of international speakers presenting the latest cutting-edge scientific research and practical strategies for diagnosing, managing, and preventing mental health disorders in elite athletes. Attendees will leave equipped with actionable tools to implement immediately with their athletes, team, or sporting organisation. Beyond the presentations, PROMISE offers an opportunity for meaningful discussions, networking, and engagement with world-leading experts and clinicians.
The mental health of elite athletes is a crucial conversation now more than ever. With growing awareness, increasing demands, and mounting evidence linking mental well-being to performance, injury prevention, and recovery, the sporting world is taking notice. PROMISE conference is one of the first to focus exclusively on mental health in elite sport, addressing everything from early detection to long-term support. Everyone involved in an athlete’s journey – from coaches to governing bodies – has a role to play in fostering a supportive culture, reducing stigma, and ensuring athletes feel empowered to seek help. This in- person event will bring together world-leading experts, with a programme constructed by key members of the IOC Mental Health Leadership Group – Dr. Brian Hainline, Prof. Margo Mountjoy, Prof. Vincent Gottebarge, Prof. Alan Currie, Dr. Claudia Reardon, and Prof. Ron Maughan – who have played a pivotal role in advancing global awareness, scientific research, and best practices in mental health and sport.
Following the second IOC Consensus Meeting on Mental Health, attendees will gain exclusive insight into its implications and outcomes. The PROMISE conference will feature a superstar lineup of international speakers presenting the latest cutting-edge scientific research and practical strategies for diagnosing, managing, and preventing mental health disorders in elite athletes. Attendees will leave equipped with actionable tools to implement immediately with their athletes, team, or sporting organisation. Beyond the presentations, PROMISE offers an opportunity for meaningful discussions, networking, and engagement with world-leading experts and clinicians.
The Protecting Mental Health in Sport + Exercise Conference is essential for licensed mental health professionals, physicians (psychiatrists, sports medicine, primary care), allied health professionals, team doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, and anyone within an athlete’s support network. By attending, you will gain the tools to recognise and address mental health concerns, create a culture of care, and ultimately contribute to athlete well-being and performance.
The Protecting Mental Health in Sport + Exercise Conference is essential for licensed mental health professionals, physicians (psychiatrists, sports medicine, primary care), allied health professionals, team doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, and anyone within an athlete’s support network. By attending, you will gain the tools to recognise and address mental health concerns, create a culture of care, and ultimately contribute to athlete well-being and performance.
Why Visit PROMISE
Best of the Best – World Leading International Speakers, All in One Place.
Best of the Best – World Leading International Speakers, All in One Place.
Connect/Network/Share Knowledge with Likeminded individuals and engage with world-leading experts
- Cutting Edge Scientific Progression and Practical Implementation
- Associated with IOC Diploma
- Brought to you by creators of the ISENC Conference
- A Conference Dedicated Solely to Mental Health in Elite Sport
- Cutting Edge Scientific Progression and Practical Implementation
- Associated with IOC Diploma
- Brought to you by creators of the ISENC Conference
- A Conference Dedicated Solely to Mental Health in Elite Sport
- Programme curated by the IOC Mental Health Leadership Group
- Discover the outcomes of the most recent IOC Consensus Meeting on Mental Health
- A pioneering event with the potential to revolutionise mental health in elite sport.
Programme Committee
Margo received her medical education and her family medicine training at McMaster University, Canada and her sports medicine specialty degree in Ottawa, Canada. Margo received her PhD from the VU University in Amsterdam. She held the role as Consultant and the Medical and Scientific Lead at the Health & Performance Centre at the University of Guelph where she focussed her practice on promoting elite athlete care and physical activity promotion in the general population.
Brian Hainline, MD, is a neurologist who specializes in pain medicine and sports neurology. In addition to his clinical duties, he has assumed many roles in sport for the past 35 years, including setting the foundation for drug testing in sports through his groundbreaking book Drugs and the Athlete; working as ringside physician in boxing; and serving as Chief Medical Officer of the US Open Tennis Championships for 16 years.
Prof. dr. Vincent Gouttebarge is a former professional footballer who played 14 seasons in France and The Netherlands. He is Extraordinary Professor at the Section Sports Medicine of the University of Pretoria and based at the Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine department of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers. He is also Medical Director at FIFPRO (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels).
Dr. Claudia Reardon holds an MD degree from the University of Wisconsin (USA) School of Medicine and Public Health, where she also completed psychiatry residency training. She is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin and serves as consulting sports psychiatrist for University of Wisconsin collegiate athletes.
Dr Currie is founder and a former chair of the UK Royal College of Psychiatrists Sports Psychiatry Group. In 2019 he joined the International Olympic Committee mental health working group and was appointed to the Mental Health Expert Panel of the UK Sports Institute. He is former chair of the Scientific Committee of the International Society for Sports Psychiatry.
Ron Maughan obtained his BSc (Physiology) and PhD from the University of Aberdeen, and was based in the Medical School there for almost 25 years before moving to England. He is now Visiting Professor in the School of Medicine at St Andrews University.
Programme Committee
Margo received her medical education and her family medicine training at McMaster University, Canada and her sports medicine specialty degree in Ottawa, Canada. Margo received her PhD from the VU University in Amsterdam. She held the role as Consultant and the Medical and Scientific Lead at the Health & Performance Centre at the University of Guelph where she focussed her practice on promoting elite athlete care and physical activity promotion in the general population. In addition, Margo has acted as the national team physician for Synchro Canada for 20 years as well as for the National Endurance Training Centre Athletes (middle- and long-distance track athletes) and the National Triathlon & Wrestling team training centres.
Margo is a Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Family Medicine in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Canada where she is now the Dean of the Waterloo Regional Campus.
Margo is a member of the IOC Medical Commission’s Mental Health Working Group, which is mandated to produce evidence-based clinical tools, to inform the IOC on athlete mental health initiatives, and to provide knowledge translation advice on mental health interventions for sport stakeholders. Margo’s other area of research focus is on elite athlete health and well-being.
Brian Hainline, MD, is a neurologist who specializes in pain medicine and sports neurology. In addition to his clinical duties, he has assumed many roles in sport for the past 35 years, including setting the foundation for drug testing in sports through his groundbreaking book Drugs and the Athlete; working as ringside physician in boxing; and serving as Chief Medical Officer of the US Open Tennis Championships for 16 years. Brian has been an active voice in presenting sport as a public good: he was the NCAA’s first Chief Medical Officer from 2013 through May 2024. In this role, he reshaped the professional and amateur National Governing Body approach to sport, building a collaborative network that included sports medicine and scientific organizations, NCAA member schools, and the US Department of Defense. He is a leading international voice in both pain medicine and mental health in sport and co-chaired the International Olympic Committee summits that addressed these issues. Brian is a member of the Concussion in Sport Group and is coauthor of the 6th International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport. He is author/co-author of over 100 academic papers and book chapters, and co- editor of Sports Neurology – a comprehensive textbook that describes the interplay between sport and the nervous system. He is Clinical Professor of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Brian is Immediate Past President of the US Tennis Association, and Vice President of the International Tennis Federation.
Prof. dr. Vincent Gouttebarge is a former professional footballer who played 14 seasons in France and The Netherlands. He is Extraordinary Professor at the Section Sports Medicine of the University of Pretoria and based at the Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine department of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers. He is also Medical Director at FIFPRO (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels). Prof. dr. Gouttebarge’s work focusses on a wide range of sports medicine domains being relevant in professional sports (emphasis on football), striving to protect and promote the physical, mental and social health of active and former professional athletes. He is Chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Mental Health Working Group, co-Director of the IOC Programs on Mental Health in Elite Sport, member of the Heading Expert Group of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), member of the Medical Committee of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), member of the Medical Committee of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), member of the Medical Expert Group of the French Professional Football League (LFP), member of the Concussion in Para Sport (CIPS) group, member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Mental Health Working Group and member of the South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA). Prof. dr. Gouttebarge is also member of the Editorial Board of the South African Journal of Sports Medicine.
Dr. Claudia Reardon holds an MD degree from the University of Wisconsin (USA) School of Medicine and Public Health, where she also completed psychiatry residency training. She is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin and serves as consulting sports psychiatrist for University of Wisconsin collegiate athletes. Dr. Reardon has served as Co-Chair of the International Olympic Committee’s Work Group on Mental Health in Elite Athletes and Co-Directs the IOC’s Diploma and Certificate Programs on Mental Health in Elite Sport. Dr. Reardon also has served on the International Society for Sports Psychiatry (ISSP) Board of Directors since 2010, currently serving as its Education Committee Chair, and on the National Football League’s Comprehensive Mental Health and Wellness Committee. She has published and presented widely on a number of sports psychiatry related topics and is Editor of the Book “Mental Health Care for Elite Athletes” and Co-Editor of the book “Clinical Sports Psychiatry: An International Perspective.
Dr Currie is founder and a former chair of the UK Royal College of Psychiatrists Sports Psychiatry Group. In 2019 he joined the International Olympic Committee mental health working group and was appointed to the Mental Health Expert Panel of the UK Sports Institute. He is former chair of the Scientific Committee of the International Society for Sports Psychiatry. He serves on TUE committees and is a psychiatric advisor to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), the International Testing Agency (ITA) and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). He is a psychiatrist in a specialist treatment and research centre in Newcastle and visiting professor at the University of Sunderland. His research interests include sports psychiatry, mood disorders, recovery and social inclusion. He has published extensively in all these areas including editing a highly commended handbook of Sports Psychiatry (2016) and a collection of Case Studies in Sports Psychiatry (2020).
Ron Maughan obtained his BSc (Physiology) and PhD from the University of Aberdeen, and was based in the Medical School there for almost 25 years before moving to England. He is now Visiting Professor in the School of Medicine at St Andrews University.
He spent much of his career trying to understand the physiological responses to exercise and the nature of fatigue, but has included many digressions along the way.
He chairs the Nutrition Working Group of the Medical Commission of the International Olympic Committee. He is a director of the IOC Diploma programs in Sports Nutrition, Sports Medicine, Sports Physical Therapies, Mental Health in Elite Sport and Drugs in Sport.
venue
The Welcome Reception (September 20th Evening) will be held in the breathtaking Playfair Library, a historic venue renowned for its 190-ft barrel-vaulted neoclassical ceiling. This evening will include a buffet dinner, welcome drinks, and an informal Q&A session with an elite athlete (TBC) – a unique opportunity to gain firsthand insights into the mental health challenges faced at the highest levels of sport.
With the vibrant city of Edinburgh on the conference’s doorstep, attendees will not only be drawn by the cutting-edge science and expert discussions but also by the city’s rich history, striking architecture, and inspiring surroundings, making this a truly unforgettable experience.
The Welcome Reception (September 20th Evening) will be held in the breathtaking Playfair Library, a historic venue renowned for its 190-ft barrel-vaulted neoclassical ceiling. This evening will include a buffet dinner, welcome drinks, and an informal Q&A session with an elite athlete (TBC) – a unique opportunity to gain firsthand insights into the mental health challenges faced at the highest levels of sport.
With the vibrant city of Edinburgh on the conference’s doorstep, attendees will not only be drawn by the cutting-edge science and expert discussions but also by the city’s rich history, striking architecture, and inspiring surroundings, making this a truly unforgettable experience.
Become a Supporter
Support the PROMISE Conference and align your brand with an event dedicated to the mental well-being of elite athletes. Support scientific research, empower education, and facilitate access to mental health professionals to help athletes perform better for longer.
Your sponsorship will aid in gathering vital evidence, reduce stigma, and improve mental health culture in elite sports. Show your community you’re actively working to foster a supportive environment where athletes feel empowered to seek help.
Be part of history with leading speakers and programming. Show you’re making a difference. Become a sponsor today.
Abstracts
There will be opportunities at the Conference for the presentation of
Communications in Poster and Oral format.
There will be opportunities at the Conference for the presentation of Communications in Poster and Oral format.