.png&width=22&height=22&type=webp)
Mind Health
Effects of Mind Health on Student Athletes and Athletic Performance Student-athletes are thought to be the most mentally tough population on campus, with the ability to brush things off, pick themselves up after falling, and push through anything regardless of the toll it may take on them physically and mentally. In sports culture, the tendency is often to “play through the pain,” and refuse to show any signs of weakness. However, athletes are certainly not immune to struggles with mental well-being.
Like the general student population, the stress of heavy course -loads, grades, balancing a social life, and meeting expectations of parents, peers and professors take a toll on student-athletes. But, this unique population is also faced with high training loads, tough competitions, the always present possibility of injuries, mastering time management, the burden of maintaining scholarships, and the pressure to perform from coaches, teammates, parents, and fellow students.
These added stressors, along with others, contribute to mental health disorders including depression, generalized anxiety disorder, eating disorders and more. Signs and symptoms of these disorders may go unrecognized in the athletic population, as athletes often have a negative perception of help-seeking, accepting pain and minimizing displays of “weakness.” Thus, they may be less likely to willingly seek support from mental health professionals. Here at the University at Buffalo, our goal is to address these disorders by offering all student-athletes access to the mental health practices and services available, while also normalizing the act of seeking help and guidance in order to remove the stigma that suppressing emotions is equivalent to strength.
Hannah Hall is one example of a UB athlete who fights the stigma that struggling with mental illness is equivalent to being mentally weak, and how seeking help from the resources here on campus can save a college athlete’s career.
Listen to her story below!
| The Hidden Opponent | NCAA Softball and Mental Health | Headstrong: Mental Health and Athletes |
On campus support
WNY community support
Other tools and resources
- Athletes for Hope
- Hilinski's Hope
- Students In Distress - buffalo.edu
- Depression - buffalo.edu
- Self-Help Resources - buffalo.edu
- Active Minds
- Anxiety and Depression Associate of America
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Mental Health Education Resources - NCAA
Suicide Prevention
