April 15, 2022

Editor: Carolyn Berryman
Artist: Sydney Payton

TW: This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

Student-athletes seemingly have it all on campus. They’re superstars who walk among us, whether it’s seeing them in class after a big game or running into them at the local coffee shop. We all are seemingly amazed that they can not only perform on such a competitive level, but also maintain a rigorous class schedule. However, what we don’t see is the struggles that come along with the praise and competition, and what is happening outside of the classroom and at home. Now more than ever there have been more athletes coming forward with mental health struggles, with major publicity stemming from the summer Olympics with fan favorite Simone Biles pulling out of the competition, or the recent passing of Katie Meyer despite having loving fans, friends, and strong support systems. 

Meyer was surrounded by close friends, a loving family, and had the brightest of futures ahead of her as the captain of the Stanford women’s soccer team. All of these factors made the news of her passing on March 1st inconceivable. The 22 year old, who helped secure the 2019 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship for her school, was found dead in her dorm room, according to the university. Her parents confirmed in an emotional interview with NBC’s “Today” show that her cause of death was suicide. 

The sudden passing of Meyer sent shockwaves through the Stanford community, and the sports world as a whole. This tragic event has brought the mental health crisis, specifically among student-athletes, back into the national news spotlight. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for college students, a fact that has grown worse since the start of the pandemic.  

A week after Meyer passed away, Stanford University officials vowed to bring on additional mental health services, and began recruiting additional clinical counselors and therapists. The university is now seeking permanent mental health staffers for its athletic department. While this is great progress for Stanford specifically, why did it take such a tragic event for these changes to be implemented? Additionally, most small schools can’t compete with the budget of a school like Stanford, and therefore likely can’t afford a mental health expert in their athletic department. Instead, athletic departments within smaller schools rely on campus resources — such as student counseling centers — for mental health issues. The inherent issue with this approach is that student counseling centers usually do not employ a psychologist who has the proper training to address the unique psychological needs of student-athletes. Due to countless universities struggling heavily to keep up with demand for mental health assistance recently, it can be even more difficult for athletes to get an appointment to see a counselor. Between athletes already attempting to balance classes and training sessions within their packed schedules, to months-long waiting lists, there simply aren’t enough resources made available to them.

Unfortunately, Katie Meyer’s story is all-too similar to countless other tragedies that have occurred among student-athletes. In 2018, Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski, 21, took his own life. His parents recalled in an interview with the New York Times that Tyler seemed perfectly happy and healthy just weeks before his death, and exhibited zero warning signs toward the demons he was battling internally. In 2014, University of Pennsylvania track star Madison Holleran took her own life, merely hours after making plans to meet her friends for dinner. All of these tragedies lead to the same question: Why are student-athletes seemingly at such a pronounced risk for mental health struggles? 

Among college athletes, these statistics are startling; 33% of all college students experience significant symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions. Among that group, 30% seek help. But of college athletes with mental health conditions, only 10% do. The persistent stigma surrounding mental health issues is likely to blame for athletes’ hesitation to ask for help. The expectation that athletes should always push through pain (be it mental or physical) and put on a tough exterior may be intertwined in this hesitation. Additionally, the constant pressures that the athletes place on themselves in order to be perfect not only in competition but in the classroom as well. They are discouraged from talking about their struggles but encouraged to persevere in a time of struggle instead of seeking help. Their feelings are so often ignored until they are pushed to the breaking point and then it is ultimately too late. While there is no one answer to this question, there are many factors that can be evaluated. In the same interview with “Today”, Meyer’s mother, Gina, said: "There’s so much pressure on athletes, especially at that high level, balancing academics and a highly competitive environment. There is anxiety and there is stress to be perfect, to be the best, to be number one." Needless to say, the demands placed on these young adults are tremendous. Adding the often crippling pressure for success that student-athletes face can lead to fatal outcomes like these. Within athletic programs, emphasizing performance instead of overall well-being has been normalized to an unhealthy extent. It’s time we destroy these expectations, and allow student athletes to feel that they are not only allowed to prioritize their own mental and physical health, but they are wholeheartedly encouraged to do so. 

At the end of the day, this isn’t just an issue among student-athletes— it’s a public health crisis. However, my hope is that the more we talk about it, consider how to combat it, and work to remove all stigma surrounding it, the less tragedies we will have to mourn over. 

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online. Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2022/03/04/katie-meyer-parents-interview-stanford-soccer-star-death-suicide/9374744002/https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/research/goals/2020AWRES_GOALS2020con.pdfhttps://www.today.com/news/sports/katie-meyer-death-parents-interview-rcna18694https://timely.md/blog/student-athlete-mental-health/https://www.christiecampus.com/stay-informed/blog/april-2021/college-athlete-mental-health-articlehttp://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12833146/instagram-account-university-pennsylvania-runner-showed-only-part-storyhttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/13/sports/football/ryan-hilinski-tyler-suicide-quarterback.htmlhttps://californiahealthline.org/news/article/college-student-mental-health-therapist-shortage/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-03-10/stanford-says-it-will-enhance-mental-health-services-following-katie-meyers-deathhttps://harvardpolitics.com/the-imperfect-storm/