Mental Health in Student Athletes

Student Athletes have two jobs, to keep a passing grade to compete in their sport and to make it to every practice and game. They have the extreme pressure to get good grades so they have a better chance of getting a collage scholarship. Then on top of that they have the high expectations of parents, coaches, friends, teachers, and teammates. The amount of pressure put on them builds up and year after year it gets worse. These pressures can become to much and athletes can start to develop a mental illness. Most commonly anxiety and depression witch can lead to much worse things. A study in 2016 showed that 1 in 4 collage athletes will have a mental illness (IHE). This study also showed that 12% more females athletes developed symptoms than male athletes.

And surprisingly the sport with the highest levels of people with symptoms was track and field. High school and collage athletes have a higher standard to up hold. They are constantly being watched judged, graded and criticized, people talk about these kids like they are only as good as there game. Athletes are tested on a daily basis to see how much they can handle, to see how much it will take for their bodies to reach it’s breaking point. Then while their bodies are being tested so are their minds they have to remember plays and practices and homework and tests but what they aren’t required to remember is that they have a duty to keep their mind as fit as their bodies. Lets take the time to remind them of how important it is to keep their mind as healthy as their bodies and that its ok to stop and ask for help.

Jake New Insider Higher Education https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/01/28/study-1-4-college-athletes-show-signs-depression