Scientific Programme
Psychology, Social Sciences & Humanities
IS-SH01 - ECSS-FEPSAC Invited Symposia-Psychological First Aid: Welfare strategies at major sports events
Date: 01.07.2025, Time: 13:30 - 14:45, Session Room: Anfiteatro
Description
Psychological First Aid (PFA) has become increasingly essential in safeguarding practices at major sports events. This symposium explores PFA as a rapid-response intervention for mental health crises in high-stakes, high-stress sports environments. Aimed at protecting athletes' well-being and fostering a culture of safety, PFA equips sports psychologists, welfare officers, and support staff with essential tools to diminish the immediate effects of trauma, anxiety, and emotional distress. This session will include three perspectives. Each speaker will address the unique mental health needs of athletes, officials, and support teams at events like the Olympics, focusing on (1) implementing PFA protocols for quick intervention, (2) recognizing signs of mental health risks, and (3) building collaborative welfare networks. Presentations will center on practical applications, training models, and research insights, as well as fostering resilience and promoting ethical welfare standards.
Chair(s)
Alina Isabela Gherghisan
Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, Olympic Center for Assessment and Scientific Assistance - COTAS
Romania
Speaker A
Renata Baric
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Kinesiology
Croatia
Read CVECSS Rimini 2025: IS-SH01
Implementing Psychological First Aid protocols in sports: Tools and insights from the field
Psychological First Aid (PFA) has emerged as an important tool for supporting athletes’ mental health in high-stakes environments like major sporting events. Renata Barić, an esteemed Sport Psychologist and Professor at the University of Zagreb, shares insights into implementing PFA protocols tailored to the dynamic, stress-intensive environment of elite sports. Her approach emphasizes immediate, targeted responses to emotional and psychological crises, equipping sports psychologists, coaches, and support staff with essential skills for mitigating acute stress and trauma. Drawing from her extensive research and practice, The presentation will cover best practices for recognizing early signs of mental health risks and delivering intervention strategies that are both compassionate and culturally sensitive. This presentation will highlight how PFA is integrated into existing welfare frameworks, providing a preventive approach to athlete support and fostering resilience in sports communities.
Speaker B
Mansi Vora
Private Practice or westcoast Institute of Neurosciences , Psychiatry
India
Read CVECSS Rimini 2025: IS-SH01
Welfare and well-being in elite sports: Mental Health Interventions in the Paris 2024 Olympics
As the Welfare Officer for India at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Dr. Mansi Vora provides a unique perspective on how Psychological First Aid (PFA) is applied to ensure the well-being of athletes, officials, and staff. In this session, Dr. Vora will delve into the practical application of PFA at one of the world’s largest and most demanding sporting events. She will explore the challenges welfare officers face in recognizing and addressing mental health risks in real-time, especially under high-stress and high-visibility conditions. Through case studies and reflections from Paris 2024, Dr. Vora will illustrate how welfare networks operate collaboratively to provide swift interventions, reduce stress-related impacts, and promote resilience among team members. Emphasizing the role of welfare officers, this talk underscores how PFA fosters a proactive, ethical approach to safeguarding mental health, particularly in the context of an international multi-sport event. Attendees will gain insight into developing a welfare infrastructure that protects mental health, enhances performance, and respects the dignity of each participant.
Speaker C
Gloria Viseras
International Olympic Committee, IOC Safe Sport Unit
Spain
Read CVECSS Rimini 2025: IS-SH01
Safeguarding through Psychological First Aid: Building a culture of safety in sport
Gloria Viseras, a former Olympian and Senior Project Manager IOC Safe Sport Unit/IOC Safeguarding Officer. brings an invaluable perspective on implementing Psychological First Aid (PFA) as a core component of safeguarding in sports. Having dedicated her career to advocating for child protection and safe sport practices, she will share her experience in integrating PFA protocols across large-scale international events. Her talk will address how PFA not only serves as an immediate response to trauma but also as a foundational element in creating a culture of safety, respect, and well-being within sport. In her presentation she will discuss the critical role of education, awareness, and policy development in equipping coaches, staff, and support teams with skills to identify and respond to crises, including recognizing signs of abuse or distress. Through real-life examples and collaborative safeguarding models, her insights offer a vision for embedding PFA as a preventative and responsive practice that transcends individual interventions, aiming to foster a universally safe and inclusive sporting environment. Gloria Viseras has coordinated the activity of the Welfare officers in Paris 2024 Olympic Games.