College athletes continue to struggle with mental health challenges, facing pressure on and off the field. Despite progress, many still find it difficult to discuss their well-being with coaches. (Photo illustration by Aryton Temcio/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX – For Lexi Guerin, a senior defender on Arizona State’s women’s lacrosse team, mental health struggles once consumed her life, dragging her through periods of deep depression and anxiety. But today, she’s using her own recovery to help change the conversation among athletes.
And she’s far from alone. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that one in five adults in the U.S. grapple with a mental illness – a challenge that often goes unnoticed in the sports world.
After healing, Guerin co-founded the ASU chapter of Morgan’s Message, a non-profit organization that strives to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in sports. Now, through activities like coloring exercises, she not only manages her well-being but helps normalize these vital conversations.
Yet, despite these efforts, the road to open dialogue remains challenging. NCAA research reveals that conversations about mental health with a coach are still a difficult hurdle to overcome, according to a 2023 findings report.
“I think sometimes it’s hard to separate the person from the athlete,” Guerin said.“ (And) I think that sometimes people probably assume that their coaches only see them as a player on the field rather than a student, a person, a daughter, a son, a sister or brother.”
In 2015, 74% of male college athletes and 72% of female athletes reported feeling that their coaches cared about their mental health. From 2015 to 2023, the percentage of male college athletes who felt their mental health journey was supported by their coaches fell from 74% to 70%, while female athletes dropped 13 percent from 72% to 59%.
Athletes feel less comfortable talking to their coaches about their mental health than in the past – even though the majority of athletes in men’s and women’s sports said they believe their coaches care about those issues, according to the same research.
From 2015 to 2023, the percentage of college athletes in men’s sports who said they feel comfortable talking to a coach about their mental health dropped from 62% to 54%. Meanwhile, the percentage plummeted on the women’s side, with only 40% of female athletes admitting they felt comfortable speaking to their coaches about the same subject, down from 49%.
The stigma that athletes face is that they should not talk about their mental health issues because it is a weakness, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
However, sports and mental health are becoming regular topics of conversation, inspired by high-profile athletes such as gymnastics star Simone Biles and swimmer Michael Phelps speaking out about their mental health challenges. Still, the landscape for college sports is stressful with athletes worried about losing their spots and coaches under pressure for their teams to perform at a high level.
“I think in my research, clinical work, teaching and sports psychology, there’s been a definite shift in understanding that student-athletes really need support,” said ASU assistant clinical professor Rachel Ocampo Hoogasian. “And specific mental health support related to you know a number of pressures that they feel in their dual roles or multiple roles.”
Eating disorders, sleep disorders, anxiety and depression are some of the conditions that are commonly seen with athletes, according to Cleveland Clinic sports psychologist Matthew Sacco.
Athletes experience a higher risk in eating disorders while also being susceptible to sleep disorders due to training and competition disrupting an athlete’s sleep schedule. There is concern about athletes developing depression and anxiety because they are less likely to talk about them.
Athletes experience a high level of pressure to perform, so battling these mental health issues can be difficult.
“There is a lot coming at our student athletes,” said former ASU women’s basketball coach Natasha Adair. “They have the pressures of the world on their shoulders. They want to be perfect, they want to get it right, (and) they don’t want to make a mistake.”
The players are not the only people navigating immense demands. Coaches in college and professional sports face pressure from administrators, boosters and fans, all of whom crave winning seasons. A coach’s job security is based on success, with poor records usually resulting in termination.
The amount of pressure on both coaches and players can lead to a disconnect based on what they talk about and how the players are doing.
“There’s more of a transactional relationship that coaches develop with players and so it’s less about relationship building, less about helping students (on) and off the field, in developing character as a person, tuning into their emotional needs and often more about the business of the sport,” Hoogasian said. “It’s high stakes for everyone.”
