Mental health profiles in Turkish elite athletes and their associations with psychological safety and intrinsic motivation: a latent profile analysis

Elite sport offers growth opportunities but exposes athletes to relentless pressures that can jeopardise mental health. This study adopted a holistic perspective to: (a) investigate the prevalence of mental health symptoms and well-being among Turkish elite athletes, (b) identify distinct latent profiles, and (c) examine the predictive influence of psychological safety and intrinsic motivation on profile membership. A total of 400 Turkish elite athletes completed a screening protocol assessing well-being, including symptoms such as athlete-specific strain, burnout, anxiety, and depression. LPA identified hidden psychological typologies, followed by multinomial logistic regression to assess environmental and intrapersonal predictors. The analysis revealed a tripartite spectrum: Flourishing, Strained, and At-Risk profiles. While nearly half were classified as Flourishing, a substantial proportion exhibited a Strained profile, characterised by relatively high well-being alongside elevated sport-specific psychological strain and burnout. The At-Risk group displayed elevated levels of self-reported psychological distress, indicating a profile characterised by greater mental health vulnerability. Psychological safety emerged as the most prominent factor differentiating athlete profiles; higher safety scores were associated with lower odds of belonging to high-distress groups. Conversely, intrinsic motivation alone was insufficient to protect athletes in environments perceived as threatening. These findings suggest that elite athlete mental health is a dynamic byproduct of the interaction between internal mindsets and organisational culture. Consequently, sporting organisations must shift from emphasising individualised “grit” toward ecological accountability, embedding psychological safety as a fundamental right to ensure that the pursuit of excellence does not come at the expense of human well-being.