Student Athletes

According to a National College Health Assessment, about 31% of men and 48% of female NCAA student-athletes reported having some form of a mental health issue.

Overview

There are approximately 400,000 student-athletes in the National Collegiate Atheltic Association, also known as the NCAA. Many of these athletes are exposed to higher chances of developing a mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety, or an eating disorder. This is because of the immense amount of pressure placed on their shoulders with little understanding of how to fix it. Student-athletes are more susceptible to stress due to factors such as lack of sleep, poor class attendance, intense time demands, and poor relationships with teammates/coaches.

Research

There are levels of depressive symptoms in roughly 23.7% of college student-athletes.
6.3% of student-athletes were measured for moderate-severe levels of symptoms.
Female athletes are 1.844 times more likely to endorse relevant depressive symptoms.
Only about 8-9% of those affected with symptoms will get treatment.

Awareness

Due to the increase of mental health struggles in college student-athletes, many schools have implemented screening tests to determine which athletes are affected. However, many athletes are too afraid to get the help needed once the results are in.

Stigma

There is a big stigma around mental health and seeking treatment. There was a study done and it showed that undergraduate psychology students negatively viewed a college football player once he sought treatment for his mental health. However, there was a study that found there was a positive view of celebrities who spoke about their mental health struggles.

Prevention

It is hard to fully avoid developing mental health disorders, however, there are ways to prevent them. One way is to ensure the student-athletes are having proper off-days with enough sleep and prioritize relaxing. Another way is to avoid putting immense amounts of pressure on the athlete, this could cause unnecessary stress and anxiety.

References

Jordan D. Barnard (2016) Student-Athletes’ Perceptions of Mental Illness and Attitudes Toward Help-Seeking, Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 30:3, 161-175, DOI: 10.1080/87568225.2016.1177421
Prioritizing Mental Health in College Athletes. (n.d.). https://www.trine.edu/academics/centers/center-for-sports-studies/blog/2022/prioritizing_mental_health_in_college_athletes.aspx#:~:text=A%20National%20College%20Health%20Assessment,2012%20(Moreland%2C%202018)
Wolanin, A., Hong, E., Marks, D., Panchoo, K., & Gross, M. (2016, February 1). Prevalence of clinically elevated depressive symptoms in college athletes and differences by gender and Sport. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/3/167.long