Collegiate Student-Athlete Mental Health: Why Supporting the Whole Person Matters

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For student-athletes, college life can feel like two full-time jobs. They are expected to attend classes, complete assignments, maintain relationships and plan for their life after college while showing up and giving their all at practices or events, traveling to all of their events, and having to compete and recover by taking extreme care of their body. The combination can be rewarding, but it can also create a significant amount of pressure on one person. This is why mental health deserves the same attention if not more as physical health not only in college athletics but athletics as a whole.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes mental health as an important part of student-athlete health. Its Mental Health Best Practices provide evidence and consensus based recommendations for colleges and universities, including creating healthy team environments, identifying mental health concerns, and establishing referral plans to qualified providers that are available. Being a student-athlete comes with experiences that can affect psychological well-being in different ways. Academic deadlines may fall in the same time as intense competition schedules. Travel can interfere with sleep and coursework. Injuries can be temporary-but could have permanent effects-change the athlete’s ability to participate in the sport that has become a major part of their identity.

Performance expectations can also be difficult to manage. Athletes may feel pressure from coaches, teammates, family members, fans, or even themselves. Social media can add another layer of stress, exposing athletes to criticism, comparisons, and unwanted attention. A 2025 review published in Current Psychiatry Reports notes that most mental health issues among collegiate student-athletes occur at rates similar to those among non-athlete college students, while also identifying specific considerations that can affect athletes’ mental health. This distinction is important. Student-athletes are not automatically more mentally unhealthy than other college students. Instead, they can face a particular combination of stressors that requires thoughtful, individualized support.

Anxiety, depression, developing eating disorders, burnout, substance misuse, and other mental health concerns can affect student-athletes. The NCAA’s 2022-23 Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Study surveyed approximately 23,000 athletes across all three NCAA divisions. The study found that mental health concerns had improved compared with 2020 but remained elevated overall. These findings demonstrate why a one-size fits all approach is not enough. An athlete’s background, sport, injury history, relationships, academic situation, and personal circumstances can all influence their experience. Mental health can also become especially important during major transitions. Starting college, changing teams, losing a starting position, recovering from an injury, transferring schools or graduating can all affect an athlete’s sense of identity and purpose.

One of the biggest obstacles to mental health care can be the belief that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Athletes are often taught to push through discomfort and remain focused under pressure. Those qualities can be valuable in competition, but mental health challenges should not be treated like an injury that someone is simply expected to play through. Seeking help is a health decision. Just as an athlete might visit an athletic trainer after an ankle injury, they should be able to talk to a qualified mental health professional when they are struggling emotionally. The NCAA encourages schools to create environments where seeking mental health care is normalized. Its resources emphasize that mental health is a part of, not separate from, the student-athlete's health as a whole. Coaches and teammates can contribute to this culture by listening without judgment, taking concerns seriously and encouraging athletes to use appropriate resources.

Supporting student-athlete mental health requires more than providing a counseling phone number. Schools need a system that can make care more accessible, confidential, and appropriate for athletes’ circumstances. The NCAA’s updated Mental Health Best Practices, effective August 1, 2024, identify four major areas: healthy environments, mental health identification and screening, action plans for connecting athletes with qualified providers, and appropriate provider licensure. Regular education can also help. Athletes, coaches, and athletics staff should know how to recognize potential warning signs and understand where to seek assistance. Schools can incorporate mental health education into team meetings, preseason programs, and athlete development initiatives. Importantly, student-athletes should have a voice in these efforts. Different teams and individuals may have different needs, and effective programs should allow athletes to communicate what type of support they need or what would benefit them most.

Improving student-athlete mental health is not about eliminating every source of stress. Competition, academics, and high expectations will remain part of college athletics. The goal is to create an environment where athletes can experience challenges without feeling they have to face them alone. That means treating mental health conservations as normal. It means recognizing that an athlete’s value extends beyond statistics, playing time or championships. It means making room for rest, recovery, relationships, and life outside of their sport. Most importantly, it means recognizing student-athletes as a whole person. College athletics can provide community, purpose, discipline, and meaningful opportunities. With the appropriate support, it can also be an environment where athletes learn that taking care of their mental health is not separate from success, it is part of taking care of themselves. Supporting student-athletes means supporting more than their performance. It means supporting the person behind the uniform, the statistics, and the scoreboard.