Mental Health in Athletics: Takeaways from 2022

Throughout this series, we’ve explored a lot of what makes for good mental health policy in sports. A common thread is that athlete associations need to provide consistent support through programs, resources, and counseling. They need to maintain an open dialogue about emotional wellness. The most important endeavor is to end the stigma around mental health; struggles are not a weakness, they’re normal and helping athletes overcome them is important for their overall health and performance.

There are many factors, so most associations are taking different approaches. But to design a proactive plan to address a mental health crisis in sports, it’s essential that we understand the struggles of college athletes. That’s why, for our final post in this series, we’ll look at one of the premiere voices in the sports mental health conversation: the NCAA.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a non-profit, founded in 1907, with the mission of keeping athletes safe. With this in mind, they set out to create rules for gameplay and regulations for eligible collegiate players in the United States. At this point, the association has spread to over 1100 schools in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The NCAA is also known for collecting statistics on roughly a dozen sports, from soccer to ice hockey. 

The NCAA harnessed the power of numerous academic resources and poured it into research and the development of new protocols to strive for good mental health. After a lot of research was conducted within schools, a 38-page document was compiled and titled “Better Practices.” It aimed to outline mental health struggles that athletes face and how to support the people affected. 

The document was based on a book called “Mind, Body and Sport,” a deep dive into the circumstantial and environmental factors that contribute to mental health. It also included a comprehensive plan to identify some mental conditions and treat them. It’s a fantastic read if you or someone you know is involved in sports and is struggling. This information was distributed to counselors and coaches alike who work with athletes on a daily basis.

The NCAA provides a wealth of information but that alone doesn’t solve the issue. A yearly mental wellness study, conducted among 9,800 athletes, reveals NCAA schools still fall short. When students were asked if they felt mental health was a priority in their athletic department, only 55% of male players and 49% of female players agreed. Even more disappointingly, less than half of all athletes said they felt comfortable enough to ask for help if they needed it, despite knowing about the resources.

According to the same study, the COVID-19 pandemic played a huge role in declining mental health among young people. The study shows that rates of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and mental burnout are 1.5 to 2 times higher than pre-pandemic levels. Many young people feel they were robbed of key experiences and valuable developmental years of their lives. Some missed their window to compete in sports, or to graduate at all, due to shutdowns or health complications. The trauma brought on by the pandemic has shone an even brighter light on the collegiate community’s need for mental health to be an actual priority.

2022 is one of the worst years in history for student suicide. The previous year’s record was broken nearly three times over — in only five months of 2022. The NCAA conducted a study that found suicide accounted for 7% of student deaths in the last 9 years. This is such an issue that many parents, coaches, and students are asking for further support.

An instance that sticks with us is a string of female student-athlete suicides in spring of this year. At least four young women, from varying disciplines across separate NCAA schools, took their lives within two months of each other. This tragic series of events brought mental health to the forefront of public attention. 

As a company run by women, many of us former athletes, we saw this as an obligation to ramp up our efforts. That’s why we developed a new consulting firm in addition to our regular clinical services focused on supporting athletes specifically. Through our barewell Consulting branch we equip coaches, athletes, and support stadd, with the resources to improve their department’s mental health culture.

In addition, we have partnered with Wellness U and the NFL’s Hall of Fame Health so we can widen our reach. It is our hope that by sharing stories and spreading information we can create a ripple effect that will help change the conversation about mental health through outreach. 

Throughout this series we have seen both the good and bad sides of athletic fame. We have seen the offerings from the NFL, NBA, MLS, and MLB, and NCAA and come up short each time. It is clear that there is a critical need for support for these athletes, many of which are incredibly vulnerable, no matter how strong or untouchable they may appear. These athletes give their lives to the game, and deserve to have a long, healthy and fulfilling career they have worked so hard to achieve. 

As fans, we must hold the companies that represent these athletes accountable for the role they play in upholding the health and wellness of players, and advocate for programs that establish a stable baseline of care. We must separate the game from the people playing and not contribute to the stress and pressure that often cripples our heroes. We must destigmatize struggle and replace it with compassion so athletes no longer have to suffer in silence. For the overall health of the games we love and all that enjoy it, it is quintessential we put discussions of mental health on the forefront.