The Mental Health Stigma

The topic of mental health is one that has been swept under the rug in the world of athletics for far too long. It is very normal for people to struggle with their mental health. So why is it that athletes are less inclined to seek help than people who do not participate in athletics? In 2012 it was reported that 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health issue each year. That number jumps up to 30% when looking at adults ranging from 18-25 years old, which covers the typical age range of collegiate sports participants. Less than 1/3 of those people in that age range who struggle with their mental health actually seek some form of treatment. (Bauman) There are many driving factors behind this.

The ever lasting “mental toughness” culture that is apparent in sports plays a huge part in this. As an athlete, you are shaped to have mental toughness to be able to withstand any adversity that you may face in your field of play. You hear this message from the moment you start playing your respective sport. While this mental toughness does give you the strength to withstand your mental challenges in a way, it is also conflicting to your own mental health. This can create a cross road when thinking about seeking help for your metal health. Often times athletes feel like if they seeking mental health attention is a sign of weakness. As if moving towards the direction of getting help would be foregoing the lessons of perseverance and, “pushing through the tough times” that they have been taught since they were young. It is even more complex than that. Not only do these athletes feel like they are letting their teammates/coaches down, but seeking help can also make themselves vulnerable as well.

In brutal honesty, seeking mental health treatment can put an athlete at risk. There are a variety of consequences that could stem from this, especially if they inform their coach. This is all apart of the culture that lives in the world of sports today. In my own experience, I have heard the phrase, “Football is a business.” countless times. This holds true especially once you get to the collegiate level, and it is amplified if you make it to the pros. Like any business, the measure of success is profit. Well in football for organizations and universities, the profit is dependent on each athletes production on the field. Your performance is looked at as a reflection of your position coaches’ teachings. These coaches jobs are literally on the line every single year. They are reliant on your ability to succeed on the field in order to make their living. If you were to present your mental struggles to your coach by asking for mental help, it could result as you being looked at as a liability. You could lose playing time, accountability, trust and in some cases even your contract to play. This leaves a student-athlete feeling as if the incentive for receiving mental health attention is outweighed by the risk of the consequences they may face. The University of Michigan’s head football coach, Jim Harbaugh exemplified this. A former player for the Wolverines opted to transfer citing depression as the reason when petitioning to the NCAA for immediate eligibility to play at his next school. When commenting on the situation Harbaugh is quoted saying “The youngster that says, ‘This is a mental health issue. I’m suffering from depression.’ Or that’s a reason to get eligible. And once that’s known: ‘Hey, say this or say that’ to get eligible. The problem I see in that is you’re going to have guys that are, ‘OK, yeah, I’m depressed.’” (Barnhouse) Believe or not the majority of coaches share the same view as Harbaugh on the topic of mental health. This goes to show that student-athletes mental health is not taken seriously enough and how overall coaches are not keen to properly handling these issues yet.

The dynamic of mental health in athletes in intriguing when looking specifically at student-athletes. As a student-athlete not only do you feel the competitive pressure in your field of play, but you also feel the same amount of pressure in your daily life as a non-athlete student would. Whether it be with school, social life, family, etc., a student-athlete is constantly facing an uphill battle in deciding what to spend their time and energy on mentally, physically and emotionally. Thankfully Universities have plans of action to help student-athletes balance their sports and school. Schools allocate millions of dollars into their student-athletes. There are nutritionists to help ensure you are eating a proper diet to perform at your best. There are strength and conditioning coaches that put you through a variety of different workouts to get your body into peak shape. There are an array of different counselors, advisors and tutors that ultimately make sure that you are successful enough to not be at risk to be academically ineligible. There are medical trainers and training rooms to help mend whatever injuries you may be dealing with, and even physical rehabilitation to prevent injuries that have not occurred yet. However, it is rare to find these same outlets that help a student-athlete succeed for their mental health, “For all the boxes that get checked to help an athlete succeed, mental health at most schools doesn’t get a box; it’s not on the list.” (Barnhouse)

This is not the case for all student athletes though. Some are fortunate to have the importance of mental health advocated to them as well as the resources presented to them. I am one of those people. Here at Oregon State, my head coach has done a tremendous job in letting us know that it is not only normal for student-athletes to struggle with mental health, but that it is OK! This was a big relief for me personally in my experience. There have been times throughout my career here at Oregon State where I have been depressed. It has run in my family for a very long time. In moments of depression I would feel as if was letting everyone down. I was so frustrated with myself for struggling and allowing that struggle to deter my focus from football. It was not until my coach pointed out that ‘I had not seemed like myself lately’ for me talk to him about what I was dealing with. In a fairly brief conversation, I told him about how I was struggling. What he said to me will stick with me forever. He told me that he wants me to know that it is even more important to seek mental health attention than physical health attention for an injury, “Just like you know there are resources for your physical health, I want you to know that there are resources for your mental health.” said my coach. Without hearing this from my coach I can honestly say I would have never chosen to seek mental health help.

It seems so simple, but I think that discussion coming from coaches to players that advocates mental health awareness and resources would have dramatic effects. As a student-athlete it is a hard decision to make when deciding to seek mental health attention, especially when you know the potential consequences. In order for more student-athletes to openly seek help for their mental struggles, it is important for them to feel as if their coaches genuinely care for their mental wellbeing. Oregon State University exemplifies efforts of this through their #DamWorthIt campaign. This is a initiative led by student-athletes at OSU to help break the mental health stigma. The DamWorthIt campaign’s mission is to, “Utilize the influential platform of sport to open up the conversation around mental health in the college environment and work to end the stigma. Making every team, every sport, and every student know that they are Dam Worth It.” (Oregon State Athletics) This provides student-athletes with a safety net to be able to express their mental struggles without having to face that cross road when deciding whether or not to seek help.

Works Cited

Edwards, Brian. “Trends in Reporting Mental Health Concerns among College Student Athletes Based on the National College Health Assessment.” OhioLINK ETD: Edwards, Brian, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/pg_10?0::NO:10:P10_ACCESSION_NUM:ucin1535374506247441#abstract-files.

Bauman, James. “The Stigma of Mental Health in Athletes: Are Mental Toughness and Mental Health Seen as Contradictory in Elite Sport?” British Journal of Sports Medicine, BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine, 1 Feb. 2016, http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/3/135.

Oregon State Athletics. “Support Dam Worth It.” DamWorthIt – Oregon State Athletics, https://static.osubeavers.com/custompages/damworthit/.