Authors

Dr Lavingia is a PGY-4 psychiatry resident at the University of Pittsburgh. Her clinical and research interests include women’s mental health and consultation-liaison psychiatry.

Prof Vita is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Brescia, the chair of the psychiatric clinic, and director of the Department of Mental Health of Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia.

Latest Article

Sports Psychiatry and ADHD: A Vital Link in Neurodevelopment and Performance

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) is among the most prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions in both childhood and adolescence. ADHD is associated with significant academic, emotional, and functional impairment. In clinical practice, pharmacotherapy and behavioral interventions remain foundational. However, physical activity and structured sports participation represent underutilized, evidence-based adjuncts for symptom regulation, emotional resilience, and long-term health. Meta-analytic evidence demonstrates that exercise improves attention, executive functioning, and core ADHD symptoms. Newly emerging literature highlights the moderating role of family context and access disparities. Sports psychiatry provides a translational framework integrating mental health treatment with performance optimization, injury recovery, and psychosocial development. Adopting a neurodiversity-informed, biopsychosocial lens allows clinicians to leverage movement as a regulatory and strengths-based intervention rather than solely a symptom target. This article synthesizes epidemiologic trends, exercise science, parenting influences, and sports psychiatry principles to offer practical clinical strategies for psychiatrists counseling families and youth. Emphasizing physical activity as a core component of holistic ADHD care may enhance resilience, engagement, and lifelong mental health trajectories.

Dr Colon-Rivera is the Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha Medical Director, a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center attending physician, and President of the APA Hispanic Caucus.

Dr Bravender is the David S. Rosen Collegiate Professor of Adolescent Medicine and clinical professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the University of Michigan. He also serves as associate chair for faculty affairs in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine director, executive director of the Mott Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program, and comedical director of the University of Michigan Adolescent Health Initiative.

Dr Johnson is a psychiatry resident at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Latest Article

Sports Psychiatry and ADHD: A Vital Link in Neurodevelopment and Performance

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) is among the most prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions in both childhood and adolescence. ADHD is associated with significant academic, emotional, and functional impairment. In clinical practice, pharmacotherapy and behavioral interventions remain foundational. However, physical activity and structured sports participation represent underutilized, evidence-based adjuncts for symptom regulation, emotional resilience, and long-term health. Meta-analytic evidence demonstrates that exercise improves attention, executive functioning, and core ADHD symptoms. Newly emerging literature highlights the moderating role of family context and access disparities. Sports psychiatry provides a translational framework integrating mental health treatment with performance optimization, injury recovery, and psychosocial development. Adopting a neurodiversity-informed, biopsychosocial lens allows clinicians to leverage movement as a regulatory and strengths-based intervention rather than solely a symptom target. This article synthesizes epidemiologic trends, exercise science, parenting influences, and sports psychiatry principles to offer practical clinical strategies for psychiatrists counseling families and youth. Emphasizing physical activity as a core component of holistic ADHD care may enhance resilience, engagement, and lifelong mental health trajectories.

Dr Vadiei is a clinical associate professor of pharmacotherapy and translational sciences at the University of Texas at Austin and a psychiatric pharmacist at San Antonio State Hospital.

Dr Pierce is the medical director of the Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service and the child and adolescent psychiatry hospital education lead at the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, University of Michigan Hospital Systems. She is also a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.