SMHAT-1 mental health screening in Russian male professional soccer players: associations with age, competition level, and self-perceived team status

Introduction Mental-health symptoms in professional athletes may impair performance, making timely screening important. This study examined Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ; SMHAT-1 Step 1) scores and their associations with competition level, age, and self-rated team status in 170 male Russian soccer players. Methods This cross–sectional study included 170 male Russian soccer players (mean age 21.1 ± 4.3 years). APSQ scores and their associations with competition level, age, and self–rated team status were assessed using ordinary least squares regression with HC3 robust standard errors. Results Mean APSQ score was 17.8 ± 4.4, and 101/170 players screened positive at the ≥17 triage threshold (59.4%; 95% CI 51.9–66.5%). Age was positively associated with APSQ score ( b = 0.28 points/year, 95% CI 0.07–0.48, p = 0.010). Self-rated team status showed an uncertain negative association ( b = 0.28, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.07, p = 0.113). The overall four-level competition term was significant in the full model ( F (3,164) = 3.37, p = 0.020); however, no planned contrast remained significant after false-discovery-rate correction, and the overall league test was not significant after exclusion of the four-player First League subgroup ( F (2,161) = 1.52, p = 0.221). Discussion These cross-sectional findings require cautious interpretation and confirmation in longitudinal, team-linked studies with further psychometric evaluation of the Russian adaptation.