Shorter, faster, but still accurate: using ant colony optimisation to develop and validate the Athlete Mental Health Screener-18 (AMHS-18) as a brief alternative to Sport Mental Health Assessment Tool 1 (SMHAT-1)

The AMHS-18 is a time-efficient, valid and reliable tool for accurate mental health screening in athletes. It offers a practical alternative to the full SMHAT-1, particularly in settings where time and resources are limited or when athletes are screened regularly. We recommend using AMHS-18 instead of SMHAT-1's triage and alternating SMHAT-1 with AMHS-18 as a starting point for routine brief clinical intake interviews.