Student athletes, often in the pursuit of athletic and academic excellence, find themselves at risk for a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and eating disorders (Strohle, 2019). These issues can be exacerbated by the simultaneous pressures they face juggling athletics and academics, while also navigating a state of constant physical and mental fatigue from demanding training (Andone, 2022). A study conducted by the NCAA Sport Science Institute (2016) found that 28% female and 21% male student athletes felt so depressed that it was difficult to function in the last 12 months. Injured athletes are more vulnerable to these effects, with a study done by Leddy et al. reporting 51% of injured athletes facing mild-to-severe depressive symptoms (Leddy et al., 1994). To add, 48% of female and 31% of male athletes felt overwhelmingly anxious in the last 12 months (NCAA Sport Science Institute, 2016). Eating disorders and disordered eating are more common in the athlete population than the general population, which is particularly concerning considering the high comorbidity rate with both depression and anxiety (Sundgot-Borgen & Torstveit, 2010; Froreich et al., 2016). Research has found that female student athletes report higher rates of eating disorders than their male counterparts, although this may be obscured by high rates of stigma for male athletes to seek help (Saxe et al., 2022). Research also suggests that student athletes participate in high-risk binge-drinking activity (Lisha & Sussman, 2010).
While these rates for anxiety and depression are similar to those seen in the general college student population, student athlete mental health statistics may be underestimated due to the impact of sports culture stigma hindering self-seeking behavior (Drew & Matthews, 2019).
Sport culture is one that prioritizes toughing it out to compete even at the cost of one’s physical and mental health (Putukian, 2015). From a young age, athletes are expected by parents and coaches to be successful, pushed by financial drivers within the organization that profits off athlete performance (Bauman, 2016). Asking for help is perceived as a weakness within this culture, and athletes may suppress help-seeking behaviors to avoid social scrutiny, losing playing time or even forfeiting a spot on the team (Gulliver et al., 2012; Bauma, 2016). In fact, stigma is the most important barrier for youth and collegiate athletes, leading to the alarming underutilization of mental health services (Guicciardi et al., 2017).