Mental Health In Athletes

Staying active and participating in sports are great ways to improve your mental health. But that doesn’t mean athletes don’t have mental health concerns.

In fact, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, 30% of women and 25% of men college-level student-athletes report having anxiety. However, only 10% of all college athletes with known mental health conditions seek help from a mental health professional.

Jenna Walls, MD, sports medicine physician at Franciscan Health, and Kelsey Granger, an athletic trainer with Franciscan Health Sports Medicine, share their thoughts on mental health and athletes.

Knowing When To Seek Help

Most highly successful people use some level of stress to drive them. It’s motivating. It gets them out of bed in the morning. Stress leads us to action. But during high-stakes competition, athletes can face even higher levels of stress.

“A lot of the time, part of the reason these athletes are so successful is because they use a little bit of anxiety to drive them to success. And that’s not a bad thing,” said Dr. Walls. “But what’s worse is when the anxiety starts to take control.”

When anxiety controls the athlete and disturbs their performance, it’s time to seek professional mental health services.

Breaking Through The Mental Health Stigma

Experts and the general public increasingly recognize the mental aspects of sports performance – especially at high levels of competition.

“It’s nice that a lot of the stigmas behind mental health issues are getting pulled away a little bit, but we have a long way to go,” said Dr. Walls. “I’m always encouraged when I see a professional athlete come out and say, ‘I deal with depression,’ or ‘I deal with anxiety,’ or whatever the condition may be.”

Normalizing mental health issues and seeking treatment for mental health issues is a huge step in the right direction for everyone – athletes and non-athletes alike.

“I think sometimes we think athletes are superheroes. But just like everybody else, they get stressed, and the sport itself is stressful,” adds Granger.

Finding Support For Athletes

Professionals working with athletes at all levels of competition need to recognize the signs of a possible mental health problem. Then, they can connect the athlete with the right resources.

“My job as a team physician is training everyone to see those signs. And then I can either step in as a physician myself or get athletes to the right resources,” explained Dr. Walls.

Whether or not we have a mental health diagnosis, everyone faces anxiety and stress. Having someone support you can make all the difference. And sometimes, that “someone” is a mental health professional.

Healthy Mental Practices For Athletes

All members of sports care teams – including athletic trainers – have a role in encouraging athletes to address their mental health.

“We’re not therapists, but as athletic trainers, we can share management techniques athletes can use to control anxiety and stress,” said Granger. She suggests trying:

• Breathing exercises
• Practicing yoga
• Meditation techniques

“Even just teaching athletes to breathe or mentally prepare for a high-intensity or high anxiety-driven competition can help them tune into their mental health,” explained Granger.

Incorporating Mental Health Care Into Sports Health Care

Despite our culture’s progress in normalizing care for mental health, we still have a way to go.

“I think expecting someone with depression or anxiety to just ‘get over it’ is unrealistic,” explained Dr. Walls. “So, we show them how to control it – whether with counseling, medication or management techniques. We’ve had a lot of success with that.”

The sports medicine community is working to normalize seeking care for mental health, so stress or anxiety don’t control athletes. Competitive athletes can use a bit of stress to their advantage, but they need to understand when the stress is too much and when to seek help.

Talking To Your Doctor About Mental Health

If you’re an athlete and are concerned about your mental health, know you’re not alone. Here’s how to start the conversation with your doctor about mental health.