Jasmine student athlete mental health portfolio-23_july_jm

Student Athlete Mental Health 1
Student Athlete Mental Health
Jasmine Miller
Western Oregon University
July 2020

Introduction
In the world of collegiate athletics, student athletes face an extreme amount of pressure
and anxiety, whether that be pressure to compete at the highest level, pressure and anxiety to
perform to their best ability every day, pressure to do well academically, or pressure to make
their families and friends happy. Balancing everything that comes with being a collegiate student
athlete can often be very hard physically, mentally, and emotionally. As a former student athlete,
and now college athletics administrator, I can speak to this firsthand. Student athletes often
struggle to maintain their mental health and suffer from mental health disorders that are
sometimes ignored. Since student athletes are often seen as strong and fit competitors and highly
motivated, their mental health issues are often unnoticed. It is important that individuals who
work with collegiate athletes understand the immense pressure these young adults are under
during this part of their lives. Providing students with the resources to better understand and
properly manage their mental health is also essential to their overall wellbeing and college
athletics experience. Mental health must be addressed amongst student athletes and
understanding how technology impacts mental health is essential in providing a safe environment
for student athletes where care and support is at the forefront.
Why is Mental Health Important?
Ask any former collegiate athlete, or someone who works in collegiate athletics, and a
large majority will say that they see a growing need to have open discussions about mental health
in order to educate both student athletes and coaches about mental health. Many coaches,
administrators, and professors that provide academic support for student athletes consistently see
young people who just need someone to talk to, thus why it is so important to educate them on

mental health. Providing education on mental health for student athletes can become a crucial
part in improving and providing a healthy, safe, and positive college experience.
To understand the significance of student athlete mental health support, it is important to
grasp what the student athletes are dealing with. Some athletes are from homes located in other
states, some are from low-income households and others are first-generation college students
who do not have anyone to turn to either to ask questions or just simply talk to when things get
tough. In a research article discussing what stress many student athletes may be experiencing,
researchers found that student athletes experience a unique set of stressors and often do not know
how to cope or manage those stressors or they don’t even know that they may be dealing with a
mental health or anxiety disorder (Gavrilova et al., 2017). In one particular case study, the
researchers examined a female student athlete. The student athlete met one-on-one with a
“performance coach,” a term they used to make the student feel more comfortable, on a weekly
basis for 15-45-minute meetings/sessions. Within those sessions they had a pre-intervention
period where they gave the student several personal behavioral assessments. The bulk of their
meetings were intervention sessions where they discussed the importance of sport and education
for the student and what stressors they might be experiencing. During post-intervention sessions
the researchers helped the student learn where some of her stressors may be coming from, why
she feels stressed or overwhelmed, and how to make a change in her behavior.
What researchers found was that the particular student they studied, and other student
athletes, often engage in negative self-talk or find their worth in their performance in either their
sport or in school. They also found that many student athletes did not have a mental health
evaluation when they arrived on campus for their other health screenings for their sport. This is
important to note because many National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sponsored

university athletic departments do not require mental health screenings. However, there is current
concern and demand for changes in how athletic administrations and coaches treat, support, and
handle mental health for their student athletes. Also, many general university student health
services and counseling centers are often overbooked or hard to schedule appointments. Leaving
additional mental health resources for students scarce.
Why Providing Support Is Important:
While athletic departments see the demand in providing and supporting mental health
services, they struggle with being able to provide consistent and adequate services. Hartley
(2013) reviewed how campuses can change the outlook and resiliency of students struggling with
mental health. The participants took a mental health evaluation survey along with an
intrapersonal resilience survey. What research found was that providing mental health support
through a resiliency framework can help students learn to understand their past to help create
positive change in the future (Hartley, 2013).
Educating student athletes on how their mindsets could make a positive impact on their
mental health and self-confidence can drastically improve their outlook on life. Moreover, it is
important to help promote and develop a growth mindset amongst student athletes. Golby, et al
(2016) explains that a growth mindset is the idea that an individual’s talents, abilities, and
intelligence are fluid and can change, grow, and become strengthened over time with practice. It
is important that student athletes understand that their abilities and intelligence are not fixed at
birth and that new challenges and experience can help them become stronger. It is also important
to promote resiliency amongst student athletes. Hosseini et al., (2010) noted that students who
had the ability to increase their resiliency levels were also able to increase their level of personal
consistency. The ability for an individual to value the reinforcement of personal consistency

related to sport achievement and to the improvement of mental health. What is so beneficial to
learning and building resiliency is that it is not just associated with sport. Resiliency benefits
individuals in the real world as well. Hossenini et al. (2010) explained resilience theory is
something that should be educational and is taught to help promote reflection, growth and
application in order to give students the ability to have strength and focus in the workplace.
Many student athletes enter college without ever experiencing anxiety or mental health issues.
However, that can quickly change once an athlete experiences an injury that sidelines them from
participating in their sport.
To help illustrate how depression and anxiety levels rise after a serious injury,
researchers examined 72 student athletes who had experienced a concussion during their sport
season. They were given a survey in which they answered questions to determine their level of
depression and anxiety. Once the survey was completed, it was put into a regression model.
What researchers found was that the students experienced a higher level of depression or co-
occurring depression and anxiety post-injury. Researchers also determined that the need for
mental health screenings prior to sport seasons is key to earlier recognition of athletes who may
be struggling with mental health. It helps to determine which athletes to keep an eye on since
students who already struggle with depression or anxiety are more likely to develop post-injury
anxiety and depression (Jingzhen et al.,2015). Researchers also found that promoting and
encouraging resiliency in student athletes who experience before and especially after an injury,
helps improve their mental health (Hosseini et al., 2010). Athletic departments should begin to
look into how to use technology to develop mental health screenings they can provide to student
athletes every year prior to their sport season. They can also look into creating mental health
resources that their student athletes can access online or in the training rooms. Yet another

example as to why mental health education and screenings are important to help ensure the
safety and well-being of student athletes.
Stigma Around Mental Health:
Understanding the stigma around mental health issues may explain why student athletes
often don’t seek mental health services. Beauchemin (2014) explained that many student athletes
don’t seek help because they do not want to seem “weak.” He also explains that many athletes
feel as if mental health counseling can lead to negative perceptions of help-seeking behaviors.
Beauchemin (2014) points out that these perceptions
might be a contributing factor to the underutilization of college and university counseling
centers among this population, as student athletes are apprehensive of being stigmatized
by coaches, teammates, student peers and fans (p. 269).
In other words, student athletes fear that peers or coaches will see them as weak if they appear to
need help or suffer from mental health issues. In order to best serve the student athlete
population understanding their fears as well as needs it very important.
Beauchemin’s research studied 100 student athletes from a large northwestern university.
The student athletes attended five different breakout sessions on topics about relaxation,
concentration, imagery, self-talk, and routines. Students were then given a questionnaire to
complete in which they were asked about their experience at the sessions, their own stigma
surrounding mental health, and whether they would they consider using mental health services if
they learned more about mental health in general. When the surveys were compiled, researchers
found that many student athletes felt as if there was a stigma about asking for help, and that
student athletes did not know enough about mental health to know they were experiencing some
mental health issues (Beauchemin, 2014). The student-centered discussions and the overall well-

being aspect of this study helped to draw in and engage student athletes and helped the students
to understand that the skills they were learning didn’t only apply to their mental health but to
their athletic and academic performance and general overall well-being as well. This research
helps to shed a light on why educating athletes and coaches on mental health is becoming more
and more important.
Along with changing the stigma around mental health and student athletes, it is also
important to talk about athletes’ attitudes about counseling and their own help-seeking behaviors.
It is important to discuss how to change the stigma around using mental health-related services
on campuses. In a survey of 267 student athletes from a Division 1 southeastern university,
researchers asked about expectations, personal commitment/motivations, importance of
counselor expertise, need for mental health education, and time constraints (Watson, 2005). With
the survey results researchers found that the students’ expectations of counseling and its services
affected their attitudes towards their own help-seeking behavior, thus showing that the stigma
around mental health could still be affecting students to seek help from other mental health-
related services if they needed it. It is imperative that these stigmas are addressed and that
student athletes are educated on the availability of mental health resources on their campuses and
within their communities.
In the world of athletics, the conversation around mental health and destigmatizing the
“weakness” associated with it is one that can no longer be ignored. Both the NCAA and the
National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) understand that in order to protect and promote
the safety and well-being of their student athletes, mental health needs to be addressed (Mental
Health). No longer can these organizations, coaches, trainers, administrators, teammates, families
and friends continue to tell these student athletes to “shake it off” and “toughen up.” These

student athletes are in a crucial point of their young adulthood and they need to be made to feel
safe, supported, and heard. The NCAA and the NATA are continuing to help create
organizations, campaigns, support groups, and partnerships with wellness centers to help
promote the conversation around mental health. They also want to work on making sure that
athletic departments across the country have someone dedicated to providing support to the
student athletes on their campus. Making sure that the student athletes’ mental and physical well-
being is a top priority for the NCAA and NATA.
How Does Technology Affect Mental Health?
One thing student athletes often overlook as a contributing factor to their mental health is
technology. Over the last ten years, the rapid development of social networking sites (SNSs) has
caused several profound changes in the way people communicate and interact (Pantic 2014).
Whether it be through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, or Tik Tok, this generation has
been sharing a majority of their lives online, and sharing life online comes with its own
struggles. According to Pantic (2014),
Recently, however, some researchers have associated online social networking with
several psychiatric disorders, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, and low self-
esteem. Since social networks are a relatively new phenomenon, many questions
regarding their potential impact on mental health remain unanswered (p. 67).
In other words, excessive social media use has started to negatively affect teens and young
adults. Researchers have also found that around 20% of students spend about five hours a day
online or on their digital devices, while 44-50% spend around one-two hours a day on their
digital devices (CAMH. (2018). It is important that teens and young adults become more self-
aware of how their social media and digital device use has an effect on their mental health.

While online on these various social media sites, many young adults and teens are often
comparing themselves and their lives to others on these accounts. The pressure to “fit in,” “look
cool,” or “say the right thing” is very high, often giving young adults and teens low self-esteem
and anxiety. Pantic (2014) explains,
The overall impact of SNSs on self-esteem is much more complex. Constant self-
evaluation on an everyday basis, competition and comparing one's own achievements
with those of other users, incorrectly perceiving physical/emotional/social characteristics
of others, feeling of jealousy, and narcissistic behavior—these are all factors that may
positively or negatively influence self-esteem (p. 68).
In other words, the need for teens and young adults to compare themselves to one another raises
with excessive social media use and during a time where these teens and young adults are
coming into their bodies and their own individual voices, this could have some effect on their
confidence and self-esteem. The added pressure to compete and do well in both their sport and in
the classroom can begin to compound on top of one another, creating stress and pressure for
these student athletes.
Not only is pressure and self-esteem a huge factor in the lives of student athletes, but
social media and digital devices have an effect on their sleep schedules and overall health. Sleep
is essential to a healthy lifestyle. For a top-tier athlete who is training and competing six days a
week while attending college full time, sleep is crucial. Managing a hectic schedule of practice,
classes, weights, training sessions, film, office hours, travel, family, friends, and a social life can
be exhausting. Staying up for a few extra hours on their digital devices and social media can
make a huge negative impact on the overall health and well-being of these student athletes. It is
recommended, by researchers that student athletes get 7-8 hours of sleep. The average college

student gets about 6-7. Social media and digital device use after 9:00pm have been linked to
decreased hours of sleep and an increase of tiredness during the day (Avis 2017). Sleep and
mental health are closely connected. Sleep deprivation affects an individual’s psychological state
and mental health (Harvard 2019).
When students stay up late at night on their computers, tablets, and smart phones, they
can also begin to be affected by artificial lights and by the blue light rays their digital devices
admit. Blue lights emitted from digital devices can often negatively affect the body. “In addition
to melatonin secretion, light exposure affects sleep-wakefulness cycle, and rapid-eye-movement
(REM)” (Tähkämö et al., 2018, p.152). Students and student athletes who are not getting enough
sleep could start to see the lack of sleep affecting their overall mental health in a span of a few
days. It is important that student athletes are educated on these issues so they, too, can help
create healthy lifestyles and protect their mental health.
Not Everyone Struggles with Mental Health, So Why Make it a Big Deal?
Now, while there are student athletes who struggle with mental health, there are also
student athletes who understand how to maintain a balanced, healthy life. In my own experience
as an athletic administrator, there are various individuals including fans, athletes, family
members, coaches, and university administrators who don’t believe that mental health is
something that needs to be addressed at the collegiate level. Many of these individuals feel as
though once they make it to the collegiate athletics level that the student athletes should be able
to manage their mental, physical, and emotional health on their own. These individuals believe
that committing to play a sport at one of the highest levels is a choice, and student athletes
should be able to understand the pressures they are signing up for. Many feel that the mental
health of student athletes isn’t the responsibility of university athletic departments, trainers, or

coaches. But when coaches and administrators are committed to doing their jobs correctly and
responsibly, they understand that the safety and well-being of their student athletes is their top
priority, not just winning games.
What Can Universities Do to Support Student Athletes?
Talking about mental health and supporting student athletes is becoming more and more
common in athletic departments across America. There is a growing need for more mental health
education and conversations about mental health. What could help to start a conversation and
implement change in athletic departments could be different mental health workshops for the
student athletes and coaches. The first round of workshops could be for the student athletes only.
These students are a diverse group, and they come from various backgrounds, both culturally and
economically. The purpose of the first workshop would be to begin opening a conversation
around mental health and to help stop the stigma around “needing” or “asking” for help. This
workshop would also educate on how mental health affects a person’s overall well-being and it
would help combat some of the myths or rumors they have heard about mental health services.
The second workshop would be for all of the coaches, trainers, and athletic administrators who
work in these athletic departments. This again is another very diverse group with coaches and
administrators coming from different backgrounds. The purpose of their workshop would be to
educate them on the pressures and stressors that young adult athletes are facing every day. The
workshop would also help to educate the coaches and administrators on how to spot an athlete
struggling with mental health and how to create an environment of support.
The NCAA requires that all NCAA-sponsored schools have a student athlete advisory
committee, or SAAC, made up of representatives from every team within an athletic department
(NCAA 2020). It is important that the SAAC members have a voice, especially since they, too,

may have either experienced struggles with mental health themselves or know of a peer who may
be struggling with it. It also key to have the support from several coaches who may know that
their own team has struggled with mental health, or they themselves want to learn more about it.
Furthermore, it is essential to work with individuals who have expertise in the mental health
arena. Athletic departments can call upon individuals within their campus’s own student health
and services department to speak on the various services they offer and that are available on
campus and in the surrounding community. Additionally, since many of the athletic conferences
work with mental health experts, they can serve as a great resource for the universities within the
conference. It would be a priority to make any workshop, mental health conversation, event, or
campaign as engaging as possible without losing the integrity of the content being taught.
After holding workshops or events, athletic departments can work with student health and
counseling centers to create surveys to see how effective the workshops were, what resources
their students need, and what might be holding the students back from utilizing the services.
With that information athletic training staff can work to develop yearly mental health workshops
as well as mental health screenings for their student athletes. Projects such as this can help to
make a difference in numerous athletic departments by showing how they can better support
their student athletes. This should be done yearly to provide a chance to be reflective and grow
with the changing culture. Moreover, what each university’s athletic department learns can be
shared with other athletic departments within their state or conference and potentially the NCAA.
They can share what they have learned, hear what other departments have done, and adjust to
grow and better fit the needs of their students.
One thing many athletic departments and universities often forget is how powerful
technology can be in helping to educate students about mental health. Often times coaches or

administrators shy away from having conversations about mental health with student athletes
because they don’t feel as if they know enough about it or don’t know what to say. But what
these coaches and administrators are forgetting is that there is an abundance of information they
have access to with technology. With computers, tablets and even smart phones coaches and
administrators can read and access research articles, attended webinars, video chat with peers or
health professionals, and watch informational videos about mental health. They can even easily
share some of these resources with their athletes and their departments. Athletic trainers and
departments can access web 2.0 tools to design and create mental health surveys or screenings to
give to athletes. They can even create visual presentations to aid educating the student athletes
about mental health. Moreover, students themselves and organizations like the SAAC can use
social media to create campaigns about mental health awareness, as well as share resources to
their peers. Peer-to-peer support could help spark positive and supportive conversations about
mental health amongst student athletes. Naslund et al., (2016) suggests that, the ability for those
who suffer from mental health issues to connect with one another, may be extremely beneficial
social integration, recovery, and overall wellbeing. Illustrating how individuals who may be
dealing with similar mental health issues can be brought together with technology such as online
peer-to-peer networking and social media sites. Allowing individuals to connect with other who
facing a similar battle could help aid in recovery.
Conclusion
Overall, mental health amongst student athletes is an issue that cannot be overlooked any
longer. Too many student athletes have struggled silently because they do not have access to
resources or simply because they are just not educated enough on mental health issues to realize
they are struggling. Individuals who work in collegiate athletics are supposed to be committed to

providing care and support for their student athletes, and to ensuring their safety and overall
well-being. It is their responsibility to help educate student athletes on mental health and to foster
a culture of growth and support so that student athletes feel safe and supported enough to ask for
help. In order to provide a safe environment for student athletes to grow and become productive
members and leaders in society, mental health is an issue that needs to be addressed.

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