2024 Mental Health Essay Contest Awardee: Bronze
Access for Adolescent Athletes
Hailey, Arkansas
As of 2021, it is stated that “Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among student-athletes ages 15 to 24.” (Suicide Prevention in Young Athletes). These striking statistics continue to rise. Many young athletes struggle with their mental health, but they seem to be unable to open up about their concerns with their mentality. For these student-athletes, there is limited time and access to find someone to open up to. The decline of mental well-being in athletes is an urgent problem in the United States that needs to be fixed.
As an athlete, people view us as tough and strong-willed, which is why I believe so many athletes never mention their well-being. Several athletes want to maintain their strong image, and they fear mentioning their mental instability will cause others to look at them differently. In addition, a massive amount of pressure is placed on student-athletes. Being a student-athlete consists of waking up early for morning practices, going to school, going to practice or a game, getting home late from a game, working on homework, going to bed late, and then repeating that cycle. Many athletes often compare themselves to other players, which can cause them to feel poorly about themselves and their abilities as an athlete. We are supposed to be the best athletes possible while being a good student with minimal sleep. The stress and harsh demands can become challenging to deal with and lead to athletes having exceedingly low energy levels.
I can attest to these pressures that have been demanded. My body becomes exhausted, my mind gets tired, and my energy is low, but it is still expected that I give 110% in everything I do. In addition to the immense demands that are forced on athletes, their social lives are little outside of their sport. It has been proven that lack of a social system can lead to “antisocial behavior, depression, and suicide.” (Services, Department of Health &. Human). Partaking in a sport takes a lot of time out of athletes' lives, so their social support system is often limited. Trying to balance school, a sport, and a healthy social life seems nearly impossible, which does not even include any additional clubs or extracurricular activities that athletes may participate in.
Most athletes believe they have everything under control and do not want to take the time or waste money to talk to a therapist. There needs to be a way to give access to a professional for student-athletes. I believe that every sport needs its own team therapist or psychologist. This way, the athletes would not have to pay to see someone, and the professional would be there at any moment when the athletes feel they need to speak with someone. In addition, a requirement should be in place for each athlete to spend time with their team’s specialist for at least thirty minutes to an hour each week. The time requirement will allow the athletes to develop a bond with the therapist and gain their trust. Moreover, the athletes will realize the importance of putting their mental health first and that having issues with mental health does not make them weak.
Athletes, specifically collegiate and professionals, have a large influence on their audience. So, if these athletes were to open up and express their time with the team therapist, then their followers would begin to understand that having struggles with mental health is normal and taking action to fix their mental health is okay. There needs to be at least one change made for young people’s mental health, and then a chain reaction will occur to end the stigma around mental health and depression. There are millions of teenagers around the world who are too scared to seek help for themselves. Mental health is not just a problem within athletes, but my mental health issues resulted from a sport, so I have a deeper understanding and connection to the mental toll that a sport can have on one’s well-being. Because of this, I wish I could provide help to others in my situation and ensure awareness that they are never alone.
References
- Services, Department of Health &. Human. Strong Relationships, Strong Health. http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Strong-relationships-strong-health. Accessed 4 Jan. 2024.
- Suicide Prevention in Young Athletes. https://www.stlouischildrens.org/health-resources/pulse/suicide-prevention-young-athletes. Accessed 4 Jan. 2024.
NIH recognizes these talented essay winners for their thoughtfulness and creativity in addressing youth mental health. These essays are written in the students' own words, are unedited, and do not necessarily represent the views of NIH, HHS, or the federal government.
Page published May 31, 2024
