In this review I wanted to take a route away from financials and focus on the mental health of student athletes instead. Well-being has many facets, in which two of these are financial and personal, and I believe there is much crossover that can give insight into other realms of life.
It is not uncommon for student-athletes to feel intense pressure to do well in both school and sports. As the pressure to win increases, athletes and coaches spend more time training and feel more stress, which sometimes leads to overtraining and burnout. An NCAA study found 30% of surveyed athletes feeling extremely overwhelmed, with nearly 25% feeling mentally exhausted (Lindberg, 2021). Although it is common for college students to feel overwhelmed with their class load, studies show that signs of depression are considerably higher in college athletes. A National College Health Assessment reported about 31% of male and 48% of female NCAA student-athletes reported having depression or anxiety symptoms each year the test was issued in 2008 and 2012 (Moreland, 2018).
One explanation for this could be that college athletes are more susceptible to stressors than a typical college student. Some unique stressors can include time demands, missing class, lack of sleep, and poor relationships with teammates or coaches (ACSM, 2021). These athletes’ stressors are most likely to affect their grade point average (GPA), and athletic performance, but can also lead to more serious issues, like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts (Davoren & Hwang, n.d.). Despite their increased rates of anxiety and depression, the NCAA has found that college athletes are less likely to seek help than their non-athlete peers (Davoren & Hwang; ACSM, 2021).
Additionally, several athletes struggle to find their identity outside of athletics, which is dangerous because it allows the athlete to gauge their self-worth based on their performance or playing time (Ford Health Staff, 2021). Athletes also reported feeling a sense of disconnect when they graduated due to no longer being an athlete (Vickers, 2019). Collegiate athletes tend to feel a loss of personality once their time being on the field comes to an end because they have spent the majority of their lives as an “athlete” (Weigand et al., 2013). This idea has created a culture that values athletic performance over things like academic success or mental health. Today, a coach’s success is determined solely by the performance of their athletes, regardless of their relationship with the athlete or the athlete’s well-being (Mignano, 2019). Athletes must not be successful at the expense of their own well-being. This overemphasis on winning creates tense environments in which athletes typically find themselves longing to escape. They feel as though they must win to be worthy or important (Egan, 2019)(“Prioritizing Mental Health in College Athletes”, 2022).
I believe that well-being of the mind is of utmost importance in the life of anyone, and I think student athletes are a group that overlook that too much. In this article I found great insights into why it occurs and how it can effect the student athlete. These affects that poor mental health can have on an athlete are only amplified because of the extra stress they’re under (“Prioritizing Mental Health in College Athletes”, 2022). This relationship that the student athlete has with the sport itself can also be detrimental to their health, because they see themselves as an athlete and not as a student who is to be very athletic. How can design create mediators to assist in creating a healthier environment for student athletes in all facets of their life?
Source
Trine University. (2022). Prioritizing Mental Health in College Athletes. Trine University. https://www.trine.edu/academics/centers/center-for-sports-studies/blog/2022/prioritizing_mental_health_in_college_athletes.aspx
