Development and validation of the Athlete Mental Health Screener-18 (AMHS-18) as a brief alternative to SMHAT-1 (blogs.bmj.com)

• AMHS-18 is an 18-item screener derived from SMHAT-1, taking under 5 minutes to complete with 94% sensitivity and 99% negative predictive value at a cut-off ≥19.
• Developed using ant colony optimisation on data from over 3,000 Polish Olympic athletes, validated independently.
• Recommended for interim assessments between full SMHAT-1 annual screens, combined with clinical interviews and adapted cut-offs.

"A study analysed over 3,000 screenings of Polish Olympic athletes to develop the AMHS-18, an 18-item mental health screener derived from the IOC's 48-item SMHAT-1. Using ant colony optimisation, the tool selects items from all seven SMHAT-1 domains and can be completed in under five minutes. At a cut-off of ≥19, it achieved 94% sensitivity, 72% specificity, and a 99% negative predictive value, outperforming SMHAT-1 triage. The authors recommend alternating between AMHS-18 and full SMHAT-1, combining screening with clinical interviews, adapting cut-offs to context, and ensuring support pathways are in place before screening. The tool enables feasible longitudinal monitoring of athlete mental health."