STUDENT ATHLETES

Student Athletes and Mental Health: Why It Matters

Roughly one in every five adults experiences some type of mental health disorder every year, with the highest incidents occurring in young adults. Student-athletes are no exception. Student-athletes carry the daily stress of knowing they are expected to perform on and off the field with excellence while they juggle classes and homework, practices, workouts, and time with family and friends. Mental health disorders can show up differently for everyone — anxiety, depression, disrupted sleep, insomnia, or even misusing substances. Here’s what to know if you if may be struggling.

You Aren't Alone

In 2020, the NCAA conducted a student-athlete well-being survey of 9,800 student athletes that showed mental health concerns were two times higher than they’ve been historically. They then did a follow-up study in 2021 and found the rates of mental exhaustion, anxiety and depression had seen little change. From there, the NCAA teamed up with the Sport Science Institute, the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and medical and mental health professionals to create educational resources and tools to put an emphasis on student-athlete mental health.

If You Need Help

Mental health is serious and important. If you or one of your teammates is in need of help, find the resources closest to you — such as your campus student-athlete support services. These resources not only help with academic support and student-athlete development, but they also put major emphasis on supporting the mental health and well-being of student-athletes to optimize wellness on and off the field. The NCAA also offers a variety of fact sheets on a range of mental health issues as well as mental health toolkits for athletes and coaches to create more team awareness, including video and educational modules about mental health.

If you need immediate help, call or text 988, which is the National Crisis and Suicide Lifeline. They provide 24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress in addition to crisis resources for you and your loved ones.

Sources:

• https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2016/8/4/mental-health-educational-resources.aspx
• https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/ssi/mental/SSI_MentalHealthBestPractices.pdf
• https://www.ncaa.org/news/2022/5/24/media-center-mental-health-issues-remain-on-minds-of-student-athletes.aspx